MARDAN:Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mardan Habibullah Arif here Thursday said TB was a dangerous but treatable disease and free diagnosis facility was provided in public and private hospitals to facilitate people.
He was addressing a District TB Control Programme event in collaboration with the Association for Community Development (ACD) at TB Hospital Baghdada on the occasion of World Tuberculosis Day.
Abdul Salam Afridi, Member Provincial Assembly, Dr. Ali Ahmed of ACD, Dr. Kachkul Khan, DHO Mardan, Dr. Sartaj and others also addressed the function.
The speakers said that about 573,000 people are being infected with TB in Pakistan every year out of which 370,000 are diagnosed while the remaining 200,000 patients are not diagnosed due to various reasons.
He said that it was unfortunate that despite free diagnosis and treatment facility, due to ignorance and negligence of the people, 44,000 people die of TB every year due to non-treatment.
The Deputy Commissioner on the occasion directed the concerned authorities to use all available resources for TB awareness so that the disease could be eradicated.
Provincial Assembly Member Abdul Salam Afridi while talking to media said that prevention of TB was one of the priorities of the provincial government and for this purpose free TB diagnosis and treatment facilities have been provided in all government medical institutions and private clinics.
Deputy Commissioner Habibullah Arif disclosed on the occasion that encroached land in Baghdada would be retieved from occupiers and steps will be taken for establishment of a state-of-the-art TB Research Center and construction of residential flats for Health Department officials.
He also appreciated the cooperation of Global Fund and ACD in TB prevention.