Port Blair, March 6: Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), Hon’ble Lt. Governor, A&N Islands and Vice Chairman, Islands Development Agency has registered as Nikshay Mitra under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan and adopted two TB patients from the Islands.

In a simple function held at Raj Niwas, Port Blair today, Officers of LG Secretariat and Joint Secretary, NTEP, DHS distributed nutritional kits and vegetables grown at Raj Niwas to the adopted TB Patients.

The Government of India has launched the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, with an aim to activate involvement of the society in the fight against Tuberculosis and to reduce the stigma associated with the disease. Provision of additional support to TB patients shall also result in the reduction of out of- pocket expenditure for the family of the TB patients. Ultimately, the improved nutrition for TB patients shall result in better treatment outcomes.

The Hon’ble Lt. Governor has also appealed to Officers of the A&N Administration and members of civil society/ Islanders to register themselves as ‘Nikshay Mitras’ and extend support to TB Patients. He also called upon the Government Departments, NGOs, Private Organizations and Elected Representatives to join the fight against TB by providing nutritional support to TB Patients. Hon’ble Lt Governor has further stated that the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of TB Mukt Bharat by 2025 can only be achieved by the active involvement of all sections of the society.