Bhubaneswar: Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy on Saturday said the prime minister’s vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat was not merely a public health initiative but a national movement driven by collective responsibility, scientific advancement and community participation.
She was addressing the valedictory ceremony of the National Conclave & Policy Dialogue on Tuberculosis at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.
Padhy, who attended as Chief Guest, called for greater collaboration between AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the Odisha government and other stakeholders to translate scientific evidence into effective public health implementation.
She advocated exploring pilot initiatives involving advanced genotypic testing to generate evidence for future policy decisions, according to an official statement.
Stressing the importance of early detection of drug-resistant tuberculosis, Padhy noted that Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing could significantly improve patient outcomes, reduce transmission and strengthen public health systems.
Health & Family Welfare Minister Dr Mukesh Mahaling, also present at the ceremony, said effective TB elimination required coordinated efforts across government agencies, medical institutions, researchers, laboratories, frontline health workers, development partners and communities.
He expressed the state government’s willingness to collaborate with AIIMS Bhubaneswar on evidence-based pilot projects to evaluate the feasibility, affordability and scalability of advanced diagnostic technologies.
The minister added that such innovations must ultimately reach patients in rural, tribal and remote areas where timely diagnosis remains crucial.
The two-day conclave brought together policymakers, public health leaders, scientists, clinicians, researchers, officials of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), development partners and healthcare professionals to deliberate on strengthening TB diagnosis, surveillance and research.
Dr Ashutosh Biswas, Executive Director & CEO of AIIMS Bhubaneswar, said the institute remained committed to advancing TB research, molecular diagnostics, genomics and evidence-based policy development for Eastern India.
He informed that discussions were underway for AIIMS Bhubaneswar to launch advanced TB testing in two districts of Odisha on a pilot basis, aimed at generating evidence for wider implementation.
The programme was also attended by Dr Prabhas Ranjan Tripathy, Medical Superintendent of AIIMS Bhubaneswar; Nandish Pethani, Founder of the Policy Resilience Foundation; Dr Prasanta Raghab Mohapatra, Organising Chairman; Dr Sourin Bhuniya, Organising Secretary; and senior Odisha government officials, along with NTEP representatives, scientists, clinicians, microbiologists and public health experts.
Experts at the conclave called for a robust collaborative framework involving AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the Odisha government, NTEP, research institutions and public health agencies to strengthen TB surveillance, diagnostics, operational research and implementation science.
