YAISHWARYAJ: {Awareness} (SINDH TUBERCULOSIS NOTIFICATION BILL 2014)

Great News and a very important milestone in TB control in Pakistan.

Sind Provincial assembly and PTP Sind Team has done a great job and took the lead in this initiative which I am sure all Provinces will follow.

Abstract of this Bill is hereby circulated through public awareness site for General public and to all Health care stakeholders.

(SINDH TUBERCULOSIS NOTIFICATION BILL 2014)

(AS PASSED BY THE PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLY OF SINDH)

A BILL to develop Tuberculosis Notification Forms and distribute copies of the relevant TB Notification Forms to every registered medical practitioner, private clinic, private hospital, registered practitioner, community leader and In-charge of a covered premises operating within the jurisdiction;

WHEREAS

it is expedient to develop Tuberculosis Notification Forms A,B,C,D,and distribute copies of the relevant TB Notification Forms to every registered medical practitioner, private clinic, private hospital, registered practitioner, community leader and Incharge of a covered premises operating within the jurisdiction and to provide for matters ancillary thereto;

It is hereby enacted as follows:-.

(1) This Act may be called the Sindh Tuberculosis Notification Act, 2014.

(2) It shall extend to the whole of the Province of Sindh.

(3) It shall come into force at once.

In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context –

(i) "community representative" means a person who represents a community and includes councilors, tribal heads, and other elected, appointed and hereditary community representatives;

(ii) "covered premises" means a location where a person has a heightened risk of contracting a communicable disease due to prolonged exposure which includes educational institutions, industrial concerns, mines, jails, madrasas and refugee camps;

(iii) "District Health Officer" means the District Health Officer in the District;

(iv) "Form" means the Tuberculosis Notification Form provided in the Schedule;

(v) "Government" means the Government of Sindh;

(vi) "Laboratory" means a pathological laboratory conducting tests for human diseases;

(vii) "Laboratory Incharge" means the owner of laboratory and includes the person who performs the tests on specimen in the Laboratory;

(viii) "local public health facility" means and includes –

(ix) (a) Tertiary care hospital;

(x) (b) District headquarter hospital;

(xi) (c) Tehsil headquarter hospital;

(xii) (d) Civil hospital;

(xiii) (e) Rural health centre; and

(xiv) (f) Basic Health Unit located in the TB patient's district of residence;

(xv) (g) Dispensaries;

Duties of Medical Practitioners and those in charge of private clinics and hospitals to Notify a TB Case.

(1) Within a week of examining the patient, a registered medical practitioner shall submit a complete Notification Form as provided in Notification Form-A, to the District Health Officer or to a local public health facility.

(2)A medical practitioner shall maintain the record of a patient under his treatment for a period of two years.

(3)A medical practitioner shall inform the close contacts of a patient under his treatment about the strategies for preventing the spread of Tuberculosis.

(4)A medical practitioner shall inform the patient about the availability of free diagnostic and treatment services through local public health facility.

(5) A medical practitioner shall notify the District Health Officer or a local public health facility regarding the death of a Tuberculosis patient who has been under his care within one week of the patient's death.

(6) A registered practitioner or traditional healthcare provider shall notify the patient by sending a complete Form as provided in Form B, to the District Health Officer or a local public health facility.

(7) A registered practitioner or traditional healthcare provider shall inform about the availability of free diagnostic and treatment services through public health facilities.

(8)When a Laboratory identifies a positive Tuberculosis test result in a specimen of an individual, the Laboratory Incharge shall send a complete Form as provided in FormC, to the District Health Officer or a local public health facility.

(9) The pathological Laboratory Incharge shall maintain a Tuberculosis patient's test results and supporting slides for a period of two years.

(10) Upon knowing about the patient, a community representative shall submit a complete copy of the Form as provided in Form-D, to the District Health Officer or a local public health facility.

(11) A community representative shall inform the patient about the availability of free diagnostic and treatment services through local public health facility.

IMPLEMENTATION PROVISIONS

A person responsible for notifying the patient under the provisions of this Act, shall fill in the prescribed form and send it by registered post or deliver it by hand to the District Health Officer or local public health facility within a week of becoming aware of the case.

Process of Notification.

(1) The District Health Officer shall make a list of all –

(a) private health practitioners;

(b) private clinics and private hospitals;

(c) private healthcare providers;

(d) in charge of premises;

(e) community representatives in the District;

(f ) registered practitioners; and

(g) traditional healthcare provider.

JURISDICTION, SANCTIONS AND APPEALS

Penalty:

Any person who contravenes the provisions of this Act shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to Two years or with fine which may extend to five hundred thousand rupees or with both:

Dr.Arif Rasheed Khan
Deputy District Officer (M&E) District TB Coordinator Karachi,
@ EDO(Health)Office,
6th floor, Civic Center,
Hassan Square Karachi.
drarifrasheedkhan@yahoo.com
0314-2173177