MIRAMSHAH: The government has set up five centres for treatment of TB in North Waziristan Agency, where patients could avail free of cost medicines.

This was informed at a function held in the agency headquarters hospital, Miramshah, in connection with the World Tuberculosis Day.

A health official informed the meeting that one centre each had been set up in Miramshah, Mir Ali, Spinwam, Dattakhel, and Razmak tehsils of North Waziristan Agency, where free medicines were available for TB patients. He urged the patients to complete the treatment.

Another health official stressed the need for cooperation and encouragement of the patients by their family members so they could get proper treatment in minimum of time.

The participants said that the government was taking interest in eliminating the disease from the agency, and urged mediapersons, ulema and tribal elders to create awareness among the people regarding the disease. They also called for taking precautionary measures to avoid contracting the disease.

The participants said that TB was 100 per cent curable and its treatment period was usually six months, and asked the patients to take medicines regularly. —Correspondent