Conducting tests for diagnosing tuberculosis (TB) has become an uphill task in Bihar since the ban on liquor was imposed in the State last year, said a senior Health Department official.
This has prompted the Union Health Ministry to write to the State Health Department seeking special exemption for procuring and using alcohol and spirits for uninterrupted diagnostic services.
There is a scarcity of ethyl alcohol, which is used to conduct such tests in the laboratories, including those in government facilities, according to Dr. Jagdish Prasad, Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health.
In his letter to the Principal Secretary, Department of Health in Bihar, Dr. Prasad said prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment is essential for a successful tuberculosis control programme, and its diagnosis at peripheral levels continues to be performed primarily by smear microscopy.
The reagents required for smear microscopy (both Ziehl-Neelsen and Fluorescent staining) include absolute alcohol.
The spirit is also needed for the lamps used for making smears.
Cleaning of plungers of the CBNAAT, as part of monthly maintenance, also requires alcohol, he said in the letter dated June 29.
Freshly prepared 70 per cent alcohol is also required at all levels for surface disinfection.
