State warns pvt doctors to register TB cases online

Mumbai: The state government has decided to serve notice to all private doctors in the state, asking them to compulsorily register tuberculosis (TB) patients on the Union health ministry website “Nikshay” else face punitive action. The decision has been taken as the state noticed that several private doctors were not notifying the central government about TB patients. The head of Maharashtra TB control said that the decision had been made to keep track of TB patients for curing and eliminating the disease.

Despite the government having made it mandatory for private hospitals to notify TB cases at their facilities in March, it was observed that private doctors were not complying with the directive.  

Dr Satish Pawar, head, TB control programme in Maharashtra, said, “We receive information about TB patients from government but not private hospitals. However, there are a number of patients opting for private hospitals and clinics. It is mandatory for all private doctors to register patients on the ‘Nikshay’ website.”

“Private doctors are not following orders. So, we have decided to serve notice to all private doctors. As per the government’s order, the state can file a FIR against all those doctors who are not abiding by the order,” said Dr Pawar.

After declaring TB as a notifiable disease, the Centre has sent instructions to all states in 2012, asking them to keep records. Still, in 2016, 1.22 lakh cases of TB were reported in the state. In 2017, the number rose to 1.27 lakh cases. Till June 2018, the number in Maharashtra alone was 63,271. During these three years, the city has seen a spike in extra-pulmonary TB, which often spread to other organs.