Govt launches shorter treatment regimen for drug-resistant TB | Bhubaneswar News
Berhampur: The state govt has rolled out BPaLM, a shorter duration new treatment regimen for multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) patients. The 26-week long BPaLM treatment regimen was introduced in three medical colleges of MKCG Medical College and Hospital, Berhampur, SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, and PRM Medical College and Hospital, Baripada in the first phase from Tuesday.
A highly potent and efficacious BPaL regimen is given to NDR-TB patients under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to all adult patients above 14 years. “It is proven to be safe, more effective, and provides a quicker treatment option than the MDR-TB procedure,” said Priyanka Das, associate professor and head of department, pulmonary medicine, MKCG Medical College and Hospital here on Tuesday.
While the current treatment period for MDR-TB patients varies from 9 months to two years, patients in the BPaLM treatment regimen can be cured in just 26 weeks, she said. “We treated at least five patients under the new treatment regimen in the last three days in the Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DRTB) center of the medical college here,” said Das.
She said adequate quantities of new medicines are stocked in the DRTB center here. There is a 20-bed TB ward and a five-bed ICU ward in MKCG Medical College and Hospital. All beds are full as the flow of patients is more, sources said.
The Union Health Ministry approved introduction of the new shorter treatment regimen, BPaLM, for MDR TB in India in Sept last year. The introduction of the new treatment regimen in the medical college here is significant as tuberculosis continues to be a major killer disease in Ganjam district, with over 200 persons reportedly dying every year.
A total of 6,535 new cases were detected in the district in 2024, compared to 6,698 and 6,466 new cases in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The number of deaths from the disease was reported at 280 in 2024, while it was 224 and 319 in 2023 and 2022, respectively, official sources said here.
A highly potent and efficacious BPaL regimen is given to NDR-TB patients under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to all adult patients above 14 years. “It is proven to be safe, more effective, and provides a quicker treatment option than the MDR-TB procedure,” said Priyanka Das, associate professor and head of department, pulmonary medicine, MKCG Medical College and Hospital here on Tuesday.
While the current treatment period for MDR-TB patients varies from 9 months to two years, patients in the BPaLM treatment regimen can be cured in just 26 weeks, she said. “We treated at least five patients under the new treatment regimen in the last three days in the Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (DRTB) center of the medical college here,” said Das.
She said adequate quantities of new medicines are stocked in the DRTB center here. There is a 20-bed TB ward and a five-bed ICU ward in MKCG Medical College and Hospital. All beds are full as the flow of patients is more, sources said.
The Union Health Ministry approved introduction of the new shorter treatment regimen, BPaLM, for MDR TB in India in Sept last year. The introduction of the new treatment regimen in the medical college here is significant as tuberculosis continues to be a major killer disease in Ganjam district, with over 200 persons reportedly dying every year.
A total of 6,535 new cases were detected in the district in 2024, compared to 6,698 and 6,466 new cases in 2023 and 2022, respectively. The number of deaths from the disease was reported at 280 in 2024, while it was 224 and 319 in 2023 and 2022, respectively, official sources said here.
