PESHAWAR, March 3: A 6.1 million euro project has been launched in the Frontier province with the assistance of the German government to strengthen the TB Control Programme and to provide better health-care facilities to patients.

This was stated at a meeting attended by NWFP Minister for Health Inayatullah and representatives of the German government here on Saturday.

Director for Eastern region Dr Reinhard, International Team Leader for TB Control Cathy, provincial health secretary Abdus Samad, provincial manager of TB Control Programme Dr Abdul Ghafoor and GTZ Adviser Sami Yousaf attended the meeting.

The meeting was told that under the recently-launched project, the TB reference lab would be strengthened while efforts would also be made to enhance collaboration with the private sector to control the disease effectively. The meeting was also informed that the provision of drugs to TB patients would be a component of the project.

Speaking on the occasion, the health minister appreciated the performance of the staff of the Provincial TB Control Programme and termed it the most successful programme of the health sector. The health minister also lauded the contribution of the GTZ and the KFW in controlling the TB in the province.

He expressed the hope that the new project would prove to be helpful in strengthening the activities initiated to combat the disease.

The health minister also underlined the need for close cooperation among representatives of the health department and the donor agencies to make various programmes successful.

The health minister directed the health staff concerned to make a proper strategy to provide free treatment facilities to patients suffering from multi-drug resistant TB.

He also ordered compiling of the accurate data of such patients to facilitate them properly.

The health minister directed the staff concerned to provide multi-drug resistant medicines to teaching hospitals to facilitate patients properly.

The health minister also stressed the need for utilising services of religious leaders in providing treatment services to TB patients.—APP