In the current era, hospitals are not restricted to provide only chemotherapy to the patients, but these have extended their feet and tried to reach out external world where the general masses live, to evolve their participation in the movement against TB, which kills many people in our country.

Keeping this in mind, Public Health Section has been established in the Centre to reach out general public and make hospital services a group effort. Public Health Section comprises of various professionals who are jointly working together and putting up their efforts to up-lift the departmental activities.  These professionals are Public Health Nurse, Medical Social Worker, Multipurpose Health Worker, Health Visitors etc.  The following are the main activities of the department which are being running successfully:

• Running a TB Supervisor Course of three month’s duration
• Health talks in-house and with external agencies
• Community meets
• Linkages with external agencies
• IEC activities
• Tuberculin testing
•  Research activities

Information Education and Communication is a concept which works broadly, where it emphasizes on working with the people.  In this, different effective methodologies are being used i.e. Community meets, health talks on (TV, Radio, with General Public etc.). The basic purpose of these methods is to disseminate the information related to disease.

Community meetings

Community meets are very effective tool in IEC programme because physical presence of an expert in front of public forces them to believe the authenticity of information given at that platform.  Although advertisement and other Print media does makes effect on masses but it has been observed that community meets and health talks are more effective than any other tool. NDTBC organizes community meets at regular intervals where the experts exchange their views and information related to the disease is given to patients and their relatives.  All the communities adjourning to TB Centre as well as the TB clinics working in the same area are being covered. 

Health Talks

In health talk we emphasize on the treatment regime, precautions and how to protect others from this killing disease.  Print as well as other media i.e. flip charts etc are   used to communicate the disease related information.  We organize health talks on different platforms of the Centre on weekly basis.  The platforms are main OPD hall, Mantoux examination hall and other OPD halls etc.

TB Supervisor Course

The department is running a 3 months TB supervisor course. During the 3 months period, students are sensitize about Tuberculosis, RNTCP (especially DOTS) and General aspects which also cover community based interaction.

Mantoux test

Another important responsibility of the department is the Mantoux examination. Mantoux examination is being done here for the patients as well as referred cases. They are referred by LN hospital as well as nearby hospitals including private practitioners of Delhi.

Health talk

Health talk by staff as well as students is one of the major activity through which all kind of information is disseminated amongst masses. This is the simplest method to communicate any message from one person to another.  New Delhi TB Centre is conducting in-house health talk on daily basis in its main OPD hall where almost 100 plus patients visit every day.

DOTS centre

DOTS Centre stationed at NDTB Centre is running in full swing since February 2017 till date. This is one of the Microscopy cum DOTS centre of Lok Nayak chest clinic. The DOTS Centre is being managed by the staff of the Centre.