In response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a Tuberculosis-free India, Arunachal Pradesh Governor Brig (Retd) Dr B D Mishra on Tuesday adopted two TB patients of the state by registering himself for sponsoring them under community engagement of the 'Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan'.

The mission is a step toward garnering community support for the TB patient-centric health system.

The governor appealed to the people of the state to generously adopt TB patients and make the state tuberculosis free.

He said that on the clarion call of Modi, "there is an urgent need for a societal approach to eliminate tuberculosis from the state and country by 2025, which would be 5 years before the world target of 2030."

Mishra called for making the mission, a 'people movement' and urged the NGOs, business houses, government officials and individuals to adopt TB patients generously.

He said that while the efforts of the state government are yielding good results, the community and the institutions in the society should take the lead in filling the gaps and addressing the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan, thereby contributing to the national goal.

Papum Pare District TB Officer Dr Pema Dorjee Thongchi informed that once registered as a sponsor, the health official would regularly contact him for providing patient support to the adopted TB patients.

Dr Thongchi added that the support provided to the patient under the initiative is in addition to the free diagnostics, free drugs and ni-kshay poshan yojana provided under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) to all the notified patients.