About Nikshay Poshan Yojana (NPY)
- It is a direct benefit transfer (DBT) scheme for nutritional support to Tuberculosis (TB) patients rolled out in April 2018 by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- The scheme is a centrally sponsored scheme under National Health Mission (NHM).
- This scheme is implemented across all States and UTs in India.
- All TB patients notified on or after 1st April 2018 including all existing TB patients under treatment are eligible to receive incentives.
- The patient must be registered\notified on the NIKSHAY portal.
- The scheme is not related to Poshan Mission which is an initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
Benefits of the scheme
- Financial incentive of Rs.500/- per month for each notified TB patient for duration during which the patient is on anti-TB treatment.
- As the scheme is registered under Direct Benefit Transfer, incentives can be distributed in cash (only via DBT preferably through Aadhaar enabled bank accounts) or in-kind.
- The States that have been distributing incentives in-kind are allowed to continue to do so, subject to the condition that the total value of the food basket being distributed must not be less than Rs. 500 per month.
- Such states where such ‘in-kind’ support is provided by the state; concurrence should be taken from the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India.
NI-KSHAY-(Ni=End, Kshay=TB)
- Is the web enabled patient management system for TB control under the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP).
- It is developed and maintained by the Central TB Division (CTD), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in collaboration with the National Informatics Centre (NIC), and the World Health Organization Country office for India.
- Nikshay is used by health functionaries at various levels across the country both in the public and private sector, to register cases under their care, order various types of tests from Labs across the country, record treatment details, monitor treatment adherence and to transfer cases between care providers.
- It also functions as the National TB Surveillance System and enables reporting of various surveillance data to the Government of India.
Source: tbcindia.gov.in and The Hindu
