Voluntary Health Association of India, New Delhi organized a NGO Training and Sensitization Workshop for the key 7 NGOs of the Jalandhar at Mehar Chand Polytechnic College Campus. There were 25 health and development activists in the workshop who have discussed on how the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) can be strengthened through the public private partnership programme by involving NGOs in the remote sectors where TB patients do not reach to the government facilities.

The programme was conducted under the Global Fund Round 9 Akshaya Project being implemented in the State of Punjab (six districts Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Mohali, Sangrur, Hoshiarpur and Fatehgarh Sahib). VHA of Punjab, senior faculty of the Polytechnic College were Resource Persons in the Training Programme. The Polytechnic College senior staff appealed all the participants to involve students and the school welfare funds through the Red Ribbon Clubs and the 5 community events that are conducted through college to the remote community. Prof.SPS Khurana, Pharmacy Department of the Polytechnic College consented to be a member of the District TB Forum.

The Civil Surgeon, District TB Officer and the HIV/TB District Coordinator appealed all the participants to join hands with the RNTCP and make effective outreach to the TB patients. The NRHM and RNTCP Department appealed all the participants to actively participate in the World TB Day. From VHAI, New Delhi Dr.Y.P. Bali and Mr.U N Bajpai inter-reacted with the participants about the roles and responsibilities of the NGOs in making outreach to the TB eradication programme.