Fujifilm joins the movement to eradicate TB from India

Meerut: Fujifilm India, a leader in the development and application of imaging and information innovations in healthcare technologies, in partnership with Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital, Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, organized an awareness program ‘TOGETHER END TB’ to help eradicate tuberculosis in India.

According to WHO’s Global TB report, Tuberculosis is the 10th leading cause of death worldwide, and since 2011 it has been the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent, ranking above HIV/AIDS and claiming over 4000 lives a day. India has the highest number of TB cases in the world at 27% of the 10 million people who developed the disease in 2017 globally. The situation in India is primarily due to the patients suffering from undetected tuberculosis for too long; late detection of disease which increases their risk of transmitting the disease to others. While the burden of the disease is declining slowly worldwide, the progress in controlling disease and mitigating its consequences is extremely imperative in India. To expedite the cause, continuous and conscious efforts need to be taken for early diagnosis and treatment.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India said, “Our association with Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital is in line with our endeavour to fight against Tuberculosis in India. The correct education and awareness from Hospitals and doctors is a crucial first step and can significantly contribute to the government’s vision of completely eradicating the disease from the country by 2025.”

Understanding this need, Fujifilm India looks to contribute towards the wellbeing of the people who are suffering from the disease and yet are unaware of its repercussions. The main objective of the program TOGETHER END TB is also to emphasize that incomplete or delayed treatment can lead to serious complications or fatalities.

Explaining the objective of the program, Mr Chander Shekhar Sibal, Senior Vice President, Head of Medical Division, Fujifilm India said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital has a legacy of service and care to its patients for years. Fujifilm is connected with the common ethos of providing finest healthcare in the most humane manner to the people we serve. Our collaboration with Subharti Hospital is an effort to raise consciousness and promote advanced diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis amongst patients.”

The program also encourages patients in India to complete their treatment cycle as ignorance or complacency can lead to MDR TB, which is even more dangerous and often not treatable.

Further throwing light on the importance of early diagnosis of TB, Dr. Krishnamurty, Deputy Medical Superintendent, Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital said “We are very pleased to collaborate with Fujifilm India to add value to the existing diagnostic portfolio and treatment outcomes. The aim of this joint effort is to help the medical professionals with accurate and precise diagnosis in order to achieve the goal of ‘End TB’ in India,”

“Working with Fujifilm now gives us the unique opportunity to closely address the medical needs of improving the quality of TB diagnosis in India. The collaboration will open up new possibilities and help in generating awareness among the masses.” said Dr. Eema, Associate Professor, Department of TB talking about the roadmap to deal with the problem.

Fujifilm India had earlier installed its state of the art DEVO II ‘Flat Panel Detector’ at Chhatrapati Shivaji Subharti Hospital to aide in the detection of organ abnormalities.  The DEVO II has many unique features that offer exceptional Image Quality without any compromise, can be customized as per varied budget requirements of the customers. The other features include Wired / Wireless configuration, ISS reading Technology (for High Resolution at low dose),  In-built image Storage, Anti-bacterial coating, IPX6 water proofing, Strong & 310 kg load bearing capacity, that makes it a 1st choice for the user.