Nutritional support to 1000 TB patients in ‘L’ ward, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation
Metropolis Foundation, the CSR arm of Metropolis Healthcare has announced that it has adopted 1000 TB patients in Mumbai under the Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan. This is the second cycle of the CSR programme, in which Metropolis Foundation will provide nutritional support to 1000 consented TB patients residing at ‘L’ ward (Kurla) in Mumbai district, under the Ni-Kshay Mitra 2.0 initiative. The first cycle was launched in December 2022 for 650 TB patients, which was then expanded to 702 patients across L ward for six and three months, respectively.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai has a high load of Tuberculosis (TB) patients with few of the 24 wards with high TB burden. And it has been observed that one such ward with a higher number of TB cases is ‘L’ ward (Kurla) in Mumbai. Metropolis Foundation is taking a step towards addressing this problem.
Metropolis Foundation (being a Ni-Kshay Mitra) will be working closely with DTO, L ward and will be supporting the TB patients with monthly grocery kits through NGO partner Lok Sewa Sangam for the next six months. Furthermore, the NGO will provide nutritional support counselling and will train peer counsellors in the local communities, who can help TB patients in adhering to treatment and nutrition.
Dr Duru Shah, Chairperson, Metropolis Foundation said, “We are aware of the massive effort that our Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modiji has undertaken to eradicate tuberculosis in our country by 2025. This disease creates havoc in men, women, and children, damaging their lungs, abdomen, and reproductive systems. At Metropolis Foundation, we believe in prevention. Along with medical treatment, a good nutrition goes a long way to build immunity and fight the infection. Ours is a small step towards this fight and we compliment the entire team consisting of Government and BMC members, who have been working relentlessly to reach all targets in time.”
Dr Kirti Chadha, Chief Scientific Officer and Group Head – CSR, Metropolis Healthcare commented, “We are happy to witness the success of the programme, which has benefited 702 TB patients in Mumbai, with an impressive 82% of patients showing satisfactory rise in weight and BMI. We observed that proper adherence to treatment and nutrition, coupled with timely counselling has contributed to such positive outcomes and also holds the key to reducing TB transmission within the communities.”