Khar (Bajaur), Jan 1: For eradication of Tuberculosis from the agency the NWFP health department, in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO), will start DOTS (Direct Observe Treatment System) programme from Jan 1, 2002.

IN a news briefing here on Monday, Agency Surgeon Dr Ali Muhammad Chouhan informed that centres would be opened at three places - Agency Headquarters Hospital, Khar, Civil Hospital, Nawagai, and Rural Health Centre, Shesth.

He added that at these centres free treatment and medicines would be provided to the patients.

Dr Chouhan said that apart from these three special centres, nine other would be opened from where free medicine would be provided to patients for nine-month treatment period. He informed that about Rs12,000 were spent on diagnoses and treatment of one patient.

He said that the number of TB cases rose from 470 in the year 2000 to 512 in 2001. With the arrival of 15,000 fresh Afghan refugees in the agency, he added, the number of TB patients might increase.

He expressed the hope that the programme launched by the government and the WHO would bear fruit and TB would be eradicated from the agency.