Fighting TB A Big Challenge Post-COVID Pandemic, Says Pulmonary Diseases Expert At IMS-SUM In Odisha Capital

Bhubaneswar: The surge of COVID-19 pandemic over the last two years has toughened the battle against tuberculosis (TB) at a time when detection and notification of TB patients in India was already a difficult task, said eminent expert on pulmonary diseases Dr Digambar Behera.

Speaking at an event organised to mark World Tuberculosis Day at IMS-SUM Hospital here, Dr Behera said 30 per cent of world’s TB patients were found in India which also accounted for 27 per cent of the drug resistant tuberculosis cases.

“The challenge before us is how to detect all TB cases in a scenario where 20 per cent of such cases go undetected,” said Dr Behera, who was honoured with
Padma Shri in 2020 for his contribution to the field of medicine.

Dr. Behera said new drugs were available to treat TB and all efforts should be made to detect such cases and provide the required treatment so that TB could be eliminated.

Vice-Chancellor of SOA, Prof. Ashok Kumar Mahapatra; Pro Vice-Chancellor of SOA and Dean of IMS and SUM Hospital, Prof. (Dr.) Gangadhar Sahoo; Medical Superintendent, Prof. (Dr.) Pusparaj Samantasinhar; Additional Dean Dr. Ajay Kumar Jena and Head of Pulmonary Medicine Prof. (Dr.) Banani Jena also spoke.

Among others, Dr Rakhi Ludum, Dr Priyadarshini Behera, Dr Sangeeta Jena, Dr Sonali Parida, Dr Priyatam Chhotray, Dr Khirod Sahu, Dr Subhakanta
Nanda and Dr Kalolini Sen were present.