THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 8, 2026

Collaboration between the Odisha government and AIIMS Bhubaneswar is the need of the hour to accelerate efforts towards eliminating tuberculosis (TB), Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Surama Padhy said on Saturday, calling for greater use of scientific evidence and advanced diagnostics in public healthcare.

Addressing the valedictory session of the two-day National Conclave and Policy Dialogue on Tuberculosis hosted by AIIMS Bhubaneswar, Padhy said the vision of a TB-Mukt Bharat is not merely a public health initiative but a national movement requiring collective responsibility, scientific advancement and active community participation.

She called for stronger collaboration among AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the state government and other stakeholders to translate scientific evidence into effective public health interventions. Padhy also advocated pilot initiatives using advanced genotypic testing to generate evidence that could help shape future policy decisions.

Highlighting the continuing challenge of drug-resistant tuberculosis, the Assembly Speaker stressed the importance of early detection of drug resistance. Universal Drug Susceptibility Testing (UDST), she said, could play a significant role in improving patient outcomes, reducing transmission and strengthening public health systems.

Odisha Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling said TB elimination would require coordinated efforts involving government agencies, medical institutions, researchers, laboratories, frontline health workers, development partners and communities.

The state government, he said, is willing to collaborate with AIIMS Bhubaneswar and other stakeholders on evidence-based pilot projects to assess the feasibility, affordability and scalability of advanced diagnostic technologies within the public healthcare system.

"Diagnostic innovations must ultimately reach patients in rural, tribal and remote areas, where timely and accurate diagnosis remains crucial," Mahaling said.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar Executive Director and CEO Dr. Ashutosh Biswas said the institute is committed to advancing TB research, molecular diagnostics, genomics and evidence-based policy development, particularly for eastern India.

He said discussions are underway for AIIMS Bhubaneswar to introduce advanced TB testing in two districts of Odisha on a pilot basis, with the aim of generating evidence for possible wider implementation.

The conclave brought together policymakers, public health leaders, scientists, clinicians, researchers, officials of the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), development partners and healthcare professionals to deliberate on strengthening TB diagnosis, surveillance and research and accelerating India's goal of a TB-Mukt Bharat.

Experts at the conclave stressed the need for a robust collaborative framework involving AIIMS Bhubaneswar, the Odisha government, NTEP, research institutions, development partners and public health agencies to strengthen TB surveillance, diagnostics, operational research and implementation science.

AIIMS Bhubaneswar Medical Superintendent Dr. Prabhas Ranjan Tripathy, Policy Resilience Foundation founder Nandish Pethani, organising chairman Dr. Prasanta Raghab Mohapatra and organising secretary Dr. Sourin Bhuniya, besides senior state government officials, NTEP representatives, scientists, clinicians, microbiologists, public health experts, researchers, development partners and healthcare professionals, attended the programme.