Involvement of private practitioners in RNTCP.

Private Practitioners are often the first point of conduct for a significant proportion of TB patients. For long-term success of RNTCP involvement of them is very essential. 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 only, scheme 3b designated paid MC-microscopy and treatment, scheme 4a designated MC-microscopy only, scheme 4 b designated MC-microscopy and treatment. Nationwide Public--Private Mix (PPM) services involving 1500 private practitioners are providing RNTCP services successfully.

Medical colleges' involvement in the RNTCP: current status.

To widen access and improving the quality of TB services, involvement of medical colleges and their hospitals is paramount. The role of medical college professors in TB control as opinion leaders and role models for practising physician and as teachers imparting knowledge and skills and shaping the attitude of medical students cannot be underestimated. There is a pressing need for all medical schools to advocate DOTS and through this strategy provide the best opportunity for cure of patients. Priority activities to be undertaken by medical colleges are: (1) Training and teaching of RNTCP. (2) Service delivery of the RNTCP. (3) Advocacy of the RNTCP. (4) Operational research. A National Tast Force is being constituted comprising representatives from the zonal nodal centers, Central TB Institutes, and Central TB Division. With the establishment of zonal nodal centres and task forces at the different levels, it is envisaged that the movement will gain further momentum.