Over 500 Android tablets to be given to field workers to monitor TB patients

On the eve of World Tuberculosis Day this year, the state government had provided 1,412 tablets to the field staff. 

Stating that the tablets would be distributed to the supervisors who are in the frontline of the effort to eradicate TB, Dr Senthil Raj, state TB Officer, said, “It is these field workers who implement the webbased solution for monitoring TB patients, Nikshay, at the district level. These tablets would make it easier to update details and the status of all the patients online.” 

Stressing on the work that they do, he said, “The workers visit patients homes to monitor their recovery, besides also giving them counselling on nutrition. Such a follow up is extremely mandatory, without which the successful treatment of TB cases is impossible. The field workers update the status of the patients on Nikshay every fortnight, which is now being done using these Android tablets,” he added. 

It may be noted that as part of the programme to eradicate TB by 2025, all cases are being registered online. To ensure effective monitoring, notifications on the number of cases diagnosed and treated at all levels are registered online. 

The notification of cases diagnosed and treated by the private sector is also ensured in all districts of the state. So far, 15,987 (as on March 31) private health facilities have been registered, said an official part of the team.