Arunachal Pradesh governor Brig. B.D. Mishra (Retd.) has adopted two tuberculosis (TB) patients under the Pradhan Mantri TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyan launched by Droupadi Murmu on Friday, becoming in the process the first Ni-kshay Mitra of the frontier state.

President Murmu had also launched the Ni-kshay Mitra initiative on the same day to ensure additional diagnostic, nutritional, and vocational support to those on TB treatment, and encouraged elected representatives, corporates, NGOs, and individuals to come forward as donors to help the patients complete their journey towards recovery. Those adopting the patients are called the Ni-kshay Mitras. One can adopt a patient for a minimum period of a year.

Mishra on Friday registered himself for sponsoring the two TB patients under community engagement of the Abhiyan, a step towards garnering community support towards the TB patient-centric health system.

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

Till Tuesday, over 1.78 lakh of the 13.5 lakh TB patients in India have been adopted. Over 9 lakh active TB patients had given their consent for adoption.

“There is an urgent need for a societal approach to eliminate tuberculosis from our state and country by 2025, which will be 5 years before the world target i.e., 2030 in this regard,” he said, urging NGOs, business houses, government officials and individuals to adopt TB patients generously and make the campaign a “people’s movement”.

Dr Pema Dorjee Thongchi, district TB officer (DTO), Papum Pare District, told The Telegraph that both the TB patients adopted by the governor were from Papum Pare district, which has 811 TB patients. The overall figure of the affected in the state is 2070.

“The honourable governor has become the first Ni-kshay Mitra of the state. Both the TB patients are over 30. The adoption will ensure proper nutrition to the patients, a must for recovery,” the DTO said.

Thongchi said once registered as a sponsor/donor, health personnel will regularly contact him/her for providing patient support to the adopted TB patients.

The support provided to the patient under this 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 TB patients.

“A sponsor/donor will have to spend around Rs 3000 a month on the nutritional need of a patient. One can sponsor a patient for a year and up to three years,” Thongchi said.

The Ni-kshay 2.0 portal (https://communitysupport.nikshay.in/) will facilitate in providing additional patient support to improve treatment outcome of TB patients, augmenting community involvement in meeting India’s commitment to end TB by 2025 and leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) opportunities, an official statement had said on Friday.