Aster DM Healthcare Joins Hands with National TB Eradication Programme

KOCHI:
On marking World Tuberculosis Day, Aster Pharmacies, a vertical of Aster DM Healthcare, joined hands with National TB Eradication Programme initiated from the Prime Minister’s Office,(PMO). The initiative creates awareness among the society with ‘public education on TB identification’.

As part of the initiative, with the help of posters, and displays at each Aster pharmacy outlet, awareness of TB is initiated and a 4-symptom questionnaire will be administered to all patients with cough. Customers buying cough medications will be requested by the pharmacists to read the IEC creative on TB symptoms along with contact details of the nearest testing facility. The pharmacist also tags the person as “Advised for TB testing” in the billing software. The pharmacies will ensure adherence and follow-up support to customers on anti-TB medications by establishing a network system with medical practitioners and hospitals.

This is in connection with the National TB Eradication Programme initiated from PMO to eliminate TB cases from our nation by 2025 and Aster DM Healthcare is a proud signatory to the Corporate TB Pledge campaign.

“Since 2017, with its state-of-the-art facilities across the Nation, the organization had been involved in Tuberculosis care. As a part of it, Aster DM Healthcare implemented a dedicated TB management system (Aster STEPS Centre) in its facilities to manage the cases in the centres as per the Standards of TB Care in India. The Aster DM Healthcare group is set to take its commitment to support the Nation in achieving SDG targets pertaining to Ending TB to the next level with the Corporate TB Pledge initiative,” said Farhaan Yasin, Vice President, Aster India, Aster DM Healthcare.

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the top 10 causes of death worldwide. India has the highest number of TB and Drug-resistant TB cases in the world resulting in more than 1300 deaths every day. It is found that 83% of the cases in India are from the most productive age group of 15 – 60 years causing an economic loss of more than 13000 crores.

Aster labs will also be a part of the initiative by conducting TB Screening tests in the age group of 5-15 years of children in the Ernakulum district in association with the Ernakulum District TB office. Aster DM Healthcare will be implementing the first-of-its-kind model program through its 200+ Aster neighbourhood pharmacies across Telangana, Karnataka, and Kerala.