Puducherry Medical Colleges: Pioneers in TB Elimination

Puducherry's ten medical colleges are playing a pivotal role in the Union Territory's battle to eliminate tuberculosis by contributing to more than half of the TB notifications and spearheading active case-finding initiatives.

The colleges, comprised of seven private and three government institutions, have established Medical College Core Committees responsible for overseeing TB elimination activities. These include diagnostic and treatment services, drug sensitivity testing, provision of TB preventive services, active case-finding surveys, and verification of claims for sub-national certification of TB elimination. Dr. C. Venkatesh from Puducherry's TB Office confirmed these efforts in partnership with the State TB Cell.

Leveraging student involvement, these institutions have adopted families for screening, utilizing innovative models such as AI-enabled handheld chest X-rays and NAAT molecular diagnostics. Various advocacy campaigns and events in the community highlight their commitment to public health, garnering them accolades as the best performing task force in the South Zone.

(With inputs from agencies.)