Wokha district quarterly meeting of the District Tobacco Control Cell (DTCC) district level coordination committee, district level enforcement squad and flying squad, NTCP Wokha cum district tuberculosis comorbidity coordination committee (DTBCCC) meeting was held on 22nd March 2022. The meeting was chaired by the EAC, Wokha, I. Yentinougbu.
District Nodal Officer Nagaland Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP) Wokha, Dr. Daisy Ovung while delivering quarterly report on district tobacco control cell spoke on the risk and negative effect of tobacco usage. She said the risk of tobacco consumption in any form are known to deteriorate the overall health of an individual, affecting all the organs in the body increasing the risk of other diseases and reducing our all life-expectancy and causes many other problems.
While stating on Nagaland the DTCC has also conducted forty enforcement education communication activities and one enforcement drive, during which four defaulters were fined from violation of section 6 (a) of COPTA 2003, she also counseled and those who needed were provided with pharma-therapy in a form of nicotine gum in last quarter, she said focused was made on strengthening COTPA Sec-4 ban on smoking in public places, District nodal Officer also said that all together there are 33 section on tobacco, however she said since we are consuming State , we don’t grow or manufacture tobacco products, therefore our State is only focusing on COTPA Section 4,5 and 7 and section 4 is on banned of smoking in public places, thus the DTCC is coordinating with team Metamorphosis and Wokha Circle Students Union and NGOs unit forum Wokha. District visited government offices, schools and colleges of both government and private, shopping area and public places and distributed “No Smoking” signage in addition to this all public transportation have also been directed to display no smoking signage in their vehicle.
District Tuberculosis Officer, Dr. Akum Jamir in his key note address said that due to COVID pandemic the district could not have many activities, however he said that for the current year the department of Health and Family Welfare, along with DTC, NGOs and stakeholders in the district has earmarked various activities related to TB, as Prime Minister of India has declared 2025 as the year of TB elimination from India, basing on that, he has stated that the DTCX will conduct series of intensive activities such as to conduct house to house campaign to collect spectrums, diagnose and treatment for all TB patients in the community. Akum also said that Wokha district has secured the best TB overall performance during the year 2021.
Panel Lawyer WDLSA, Advocate Shanchopeni P Lotha and O/C Police Station Wokha, Chenithung Kikon also shared their views and assured to contribute in their capacity to fight against tobacco consumption during the meeting.
SDO (C) Chonpenthung Ezung also assured the house that the district Administration will do its best on achieving the target for TB elimination by 2025, whereby he urged all the members of DTC, NGOs, stakeholders of the district to join hand to eliminate TB disease from the district.
President, Thera Society an NGO dealing TB case in the district Therali Tungoe shared her experience cured TB patient Sulanthung shared on the importance of creating awareness on TB in the form of addressing issue of social stigma attached to TB patient and importance of timely treatment.
(DPRO and IA, Wokha)