Expanding the role of Medical Colleges in RNTCP towards End TB strategy: Scope and Challenges

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) remains a major global public health problem and it has been the leading cause of death due to an infectious agent in the past five years. During the last decade, the global and national efforts have been focused on achieving the targets set by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Stop TB Strategy to reduce the burden of tuberculosis disease. In 2016, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) framework of goals, targets and indicators were adopted and in line with it End TB Strategy was unanimously endorsed by all WHO member states for the period of 2016 – 2035 (1). Based on these global efforts, India which accounts for about one quarter of world TB cases has formulated the National Strategic Plan (NSP) for TB elimination 2017-2025 to guide the activities of all stakeholders whose work is relevant to TB elimination in India.

Practices and challenges in implementing tuberculosis program at medical colleges in Karnataka, India

“…A study conducted by Purty et al state certain challenges related to vacancy of RNTCP staff posts in medical colleges, salary constraints, delay or non-release of funds for OR are still common and need to be addressed effectively for the sustainability of the model and to deliver the added responsibilities effectively. 4 In overcrowded government medical colleges ensuring AIC measures is a great challenge. Weaknesses seen in supervision capacity, quality maintenance, planning, monitoring and evaluation needs to be rectified immediately.…”

“…The medical colleges are tertiary level health facilities that caters to difficult to treat cases in the districts; currently, with over more than 600 medical colleges in the country, they contribute immensely to the program's case-finding activities and management of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant TB cases. 3,4 There is paucity of data and information in the country with regards to understanding the barriers and challenges that nodal officers face during the implementation of the programme. Hence, the study was conducted in the state of Karnataka which has nearly 57 medical colleges to assess the implementation status of RNTCP/NTEP at these institutions and identify barriers and challenges to implementation as perceived by the nodal officers and the core committee members of the medical colleges.…”

“…The review should be done once in three months and the minutes of the meeting should be shared with state tuberculosis officer and the state task force chairman for the medical colleges. 4 The medical college core committee should also ensure that all the under-graduate students, post-graduate students, senior residents, teaching faculty and the paramedical staff are sensitized on the recent updates of the programme policies and guidelines from time to time and ensure that at least core committee members have undergone the NTEP modular training at district or state or national level. 5…”