‘Josh’ Squad to conduct door-to-door TB screening

 The Centre has formed the ‘Josh’ Squad to strengthen public participation in the campaign to make India tuberculosis-free, with volunteers set to conduct village-level and door-to-door identification of people suspected of having TB.

The initiative will involve NCC cadets, NSS volunteers, My Bharat volunteers and members of various voluntary organisations. The volunteers will identify suspected TB patients and assist the health department and district administration in connecting them with treatment, Kangra-Chamba MP Dr Rajeev Bhardwaj said.

Bhardwaj said the ‘Josh’ Squad has been formed at the national level with the support of Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports Mansukh Mandaviya and Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth.

He said the initiative was aimed at ensuring greater public participation in the TB eradication campaign. According to Bhardwaj, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision was that government programmes can not achieve their full potential without public cooperation and participation.

The MP said the country has made considerable progress in the fight against TB but needs a decisive final push to eliminate the disease. The ‘Josh’ Squad will work towards this objective by helping identify suspected cases at the household level and supporting authorities in the process of connecting patients with treatment.

Online training completed

Bhardwaj said online training for volunteers associated with the ‘Josh’ Squad has already been completed. Three apps have also been launched for the campaign, with the system designed to operate online.

Trained volunteers will visit villages and identify people suspected of having TB based on their training. They will then assist the health department in the process of facilitating treatment for identified patients.

‘We Will Do It’ message linked to TB campaign

Referring to the ‘We Will Do It’ message given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the completion of 25 years of his public life, Bhardwaj said the same spirit should guide the country’s efforts against TB.

He said the Centre, state and district administrations will work together with the resolve that “We Will Do It, TB will lose and the country will win” to make a final push against the disease.

Focus on motivating volunteers

Bhardwaj also stressed the need to encourage and recognise volunteers supporting the TB eradication campaign. He urged the district administration and health department to maintain regular communication with them, appreciate their contribution and keep them engaged with the campaign.

He said several people associated with voluntary organisations and other groups were contributing their time to social service. According to him, encouraging such volunteers will make the TB eradication campaign more effective and help achieve its target.