Pilibhit: More than 1,700 active tuberculosis (TB) patients in Pilibhit are facing delays in diagnosis, treatment and follow-up as long-standing staff shortages have left several health centres without lab technicians and field supervisors, disrupting sample collection and testing, patient monitoring and the delivery of medicines.
Pilibhit has 721 gram panchayats, around 21 designated microscopy centres (DMCs) and 10 treatment units. TB patients have also been waiting for their nutrition allowance of Rs 6,000 per patient for the full course of treatment since April 2025. The pending amount has reportedly crossed Rs 3 crore, affecting patients from economically weaker families who depend on the allowance to meet their nutritional needs during treatment. ” ASHA and Anganwadi workers who support patients during treatment are also awaiting an honorarium of Rs 1,000 per patient, with payments reportedly pending since May-June 2025.
District tuberculosis officer Dr Parul Mittal said, “The problems are not limited to staffing. However, it has still not been activated,” Mittal said. The shortage affects both senior and field-level positions in the district’s TB programme. Posts of district programme coordinator (DPC) and public-private mix coordinator (PPMC) have been vacant for over five years, while several posts of lab technicians (LTs), who conduct diagnostic tests, and supervisors responsible for tracking patients and ensuring they receive medicines have remained unfilled for more than a decade. However, more than seven DMCs, including those in Majhola, Deuria, Neuria, Shivnagar, Bharatpur, Kuraiya and Jatpura, have been functioning without lab technicians for an extended period, affecting diagnostic services at the grassroots level. “The central govt has planned to launch a SPARSH portal to make payment of the nutrition allowance to TB patients and the honorarium to ASHA and Anganwadi workers.