BHAKTAPUR: National Tuberculosis Centre has started conducting a survey to collect factual data of tuberculosis patients for the first time in its history.

The Centre Director Kedar Narsingh KC said that the survey started from Balkumari of Madhyapur Thimi today in order to collect real data of patients suffering from lung tuberculosis.

He said that the survey has been started to find out the real conditions of tuberculosis affected people through a modern digital technology by reaching out to 57,610 people, making 99 different clusters in 58 districts, as it has been carried out as a pilot programme in three districts-- Bhaktapur, Sindhuli and Dolakha.

The survey is being carried out at a cost of Rs 430 million where the government of Nepal has provided Rs 230 million, Rs 170 million from Global Fund and Rs 30 million from Lung Health Foundation of Norway. Similarly, ITA, Japan has provided the technical support for the project.

Similarly, Survey Coordinator, Anil Thapa, said that the survey has been started formally from Bhaktapur.

Thapa added that the survey would be carried out in additional 55 districts where 60,000 people would undergo examination through chest x-ray and cough test. A real data of tuberculosis patients would be gathered from the survey, said Thapa.

It is said that the factual data of tuberculosis patients would be collected from the survey and it would help prepare a plan to make the treatment easy and effective.

Although, statistics point out that around 44,000 new tuberculosis patients are discovered every year in the country, the Centre has tentative calculation of around 58,000-60,000 new tuberculosis patients.