Involvement of private practitioners in RNTCP

In a special article in the Journal of Indian medical association Involvement of private practitioners in RNTCP Mandal and Vineet Bhatia from the central TB division ,Directorate General of Health services discuss the schemes to enable participation of private practitioners in the revised national TB control programme(RNTCP). They state that all private practitioners can support and encourage effective TB control by ensuring prompt referral providing reassurance to patients, giving RNTCP recommended drug regimens and only starting treatment with Rifampicin containing regimens if the full course of treatment can be ensured to be completed under direct observation. Schemes for private practitioners involvement in RNTCP are :Scheme 1 referral services, scheme 2 provision of Directly Observed Treatment, scheme 3a designated MC(Microscopy centre)-microcopy only,scheme3b
Scheme Service Commodity assistance Grant in aid
Scheme 1 referral services PP refers to a DMC
  • Laboratory sputum examination forms
  • sputum containers if requested
 Rs 10 per sputum sample maximum 2 batches within 2 days)
Scheme 2 Provision of directly observed treatment(DOT) PP or staff to provide DOT to patients
  • Literature for training and orientation
  • patient wise boxes (PWB)of antiTB drugs
  • sputum containers, forms etc
 Rs 175 for each patient cured  and /or completed treatment
Scheme 3a designated paid MC-microscopy only Private health facility serves as an RNTCP DMC
  • Literature for training and orientation
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Scheme 3b designated paid microscopy and treatment In addition to above DMC to serve as treatment centre
  • Treatment cards
  • Patient identity cards
  • drugs
in addition to items under 3a		 As under scheme 2
Scheme 4a designated MC-microscopy only Health facility serves as an RNTCP DMC
Patients not charged for microscopy services		 Laboratory consumables, forms and registers Rs 15 per slide (Subject to a cap and revocation if less than 4% of patients examined are found to be AFB positive
Scheme 4b designated microscopy and treatment In addition to points under Scheme 4a DMC to serve as treatment centre
  • PWBs,Treatment cards, Patient identity cards
Rs 15 per slide and Rs 175 per patient cured and or completed treatment
See also tbcindia.org