Gandhinagar: On Thursday, an MoU was signed between the Gujarat State Health and Family Welfare Department and the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) in Gandhinagar, under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
The initiative aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make India TB-free by 2025. As part of Gujarat’s commitment to this national goal, the state government, under Chief Minister Patel’s guidance, has taken an important step towards eradicating tuberculosis, said an official release.
Through this MoU, the Lions Clubs International Foundation will support TB patients as part of the Nikshay Mitra initiative, helping create a TB-free India by providing essential nutrition kits.
State Health and Family Welfare Minister Hrishikesh Patel also attended the event. Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed confidence that, with the support of voluntary organizations, the Prime Minister’s vision of a TB-free India will be successfully realized.
While TB treatment is essential, proper nutrition is equally important for patients. As TB patients begin treatment, they will require nutrition kits provided by Nikshay Mitras. The central government’s TB-Free India campaign has called on the corporate sector, voluntary organizations, elected representatives, and institutions to help ensure that TB patients receive adequate nutrition, diagnosis, vocational support, and other necessary resources.
To date, over 10,555 Nikshay Mitras have been registered on the Nikshay portal, and 3,49,534 nutrition kits have been distributed to TB patients. The Lions Clubs International Foundation has actively joined the campaign, pledging to provide monthly nutrition kits to all identified TB patients in Gujarat until their treatment concludes.
On the occasion, additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister, M. K. Das, Principal Secretary to the Health Department, Dhananjay Dwivedi, Secretary to the Chief Minister Avantika Singh, Health Commissioner Harshad Patel, Dr. Ratan Kanwar Gadhvi Charan, and Lions Clubs International Foundation office bearers, including Rameshbhai Prajapati and Frank Moore, were also present.
