GILGIT, Dec 29: The National Programme for TB Control will establish another 27 modern centres across Gilgit-Baltistan to provide speedy examination and diagnostic facilities to patients. The programme has already set up 22 centres in the region.

Programme Manager Dr Mubeen told reporters here on Saturday that these centres would help modernise the investigation process of TB patients, which was previously very outdated. He said these centres would be linked with each other to cover the entire region and facilitate the public.

He said the centres would be equipped with state of the art laboratories to have an authentic examination of patients. He said the registration and keeping proper record of infected patients was a must.

Dr Mubeen said patients will get free medicines and laboratory examination at these centres.

The TB control programme official said joint family system and lack of awareness among the masses was the major cause of fast spread of the fatal disease. He said the number of patient was increasing alarmingly but regretted that health authorities were not interested in taking steps to address this grave problem.—Correspondent