Hyderabad: Sushela, 45, from Aragonda in Andhra Pradesh’s Chittoor district, was waiting at a centre after undergoing tuberculosis (TB) screening.
She complained of a burning sensation in her chest and a cough.
She had not known she might have TB until a team from the Apollo Foundation visited her area.
Her experience highlights the role of community-based screening in reaching people who may not seek medical care because of distance, limited awareness or social stigma.
The Apollo Foundation’s Total Health initiative, in coordination with the Andhra Pradesh government, has screened more than 11,000 people across 10 mandals in Chittoor district over the past year, identifying 90 suspected TB cases for further testing.
These are suspected cases and should not be treated as confirmed diagnoses.
The government teams focus on people considered at higher risk, including those aged above 60, people with diabetes, smokers, alcohol users, people living with HIV, contacts of TB patients and those with a body mass index below 18.5 and provides the location, then 100 to 150 people are screened daily, free of cost.
Apollo Total Health Foundation CEO S. PremAnand told Deccan Chronicle, “The organisation had been working on TB screening for five to six years, with the Aragonda initiative beginning around 1.5 to two years ago.
Mobile teams use chest X-rays to screen people.
Images are transmitted to a reading hub in Hyderabad through teleradiology, where radiologists review them.
An AI-assisted system helps estimate the likelihood of TB, but specialists validate the findings; the algorithm does not confirm the diagnosis,” he added.
People with abnormal X-rays are referred for sputum testing using TruNat, a molecular test that can detect TB and help identify drug resistance.
Government health teams confirm cases, register patients on the Nikshay portal and initiate treatment.
Shivakumar, Senior Treatment Supervisor, District TB Office, told Deccan Chronicle, “The high-risk areas are mapped out and a calendar is made, we go through the reports and record the details.
Every day we screen nearly 100 individuals.
We also, with help from Apollo, detect if it is normal TB or multidrug TB within an hour and we both monitor the cases and treatment.”
The Apollo Foundation is also supporting people undergoing TB treatment with nutrition kits containing pulses, jowar flour, cooking oil and protein powder.
The initiative aims to support patients during treatment while strengthening case detection and follow-up in vulnerable communities, he added.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
