All efforts must be made to have decentralised local arrangements for transporting the specimens to the TB detection centre (TDC). If a proper transport mechanism for collected specimen is in place, it spares the patients from travelling to the laboratory.

The sputum sample is packaged in triple layers in such a manner that it arrives at the destination in good condition and presents no hazard to the transporter.

Transporter/ personnel transporting the sample should be sensitized by the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) staff prior to engagement.

The National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) has strengthened sputum collection and transport for laboratory testing by building capacity for decentralised collection.

• The provision for sputum collection and transport is used to establish linkages for giving diagnostic access to patients who cannot reach the health facilities. 
• To increase access and coverage of services, designated sputum collection centres are also established for collecting and transporting sputum to the nearby laboratory.

Smears stained with the fluorescent dye, Auramine, are read with a Light Emitting Diode Fluorescence Microscope (LED-FM).

The manner and quality of smear reading has a major impact on the result of sputum smear microscopy and case detection. Each slide needs to be examined for at least 5 full minutes or 100 fields need to be examined. 

The overall process of reading a smear is outlined in the figure below:

Figure: Process of reading a smear

Resources:

Three things are received by the Lab Technician- Sample for testing, request form, and  request for test in Nikshay.

Accepting the request for testing includes the following steps:

1. The LT verifies details on the request form that has eleven parts.

A person affected by TB requires support throughout the course of treatment and beyond that. The support to a TB patient is essential to ensure that s/he completes the treatment without affecting her/his quality of life (QoL). Keeping the patient as the central figure in the continuum of care, and ensuring social and personal circumstances are supportive (not only meeting immediate requirements of medical treatment) is the key to treatment support.

What is TS, how is it different from DOT, components of TS,

A state-level meeting by the Principal Secretary of Health & Family Welfare with all members must be held to communicate the days of the Active Case Finding (ACF) campaign and take all the necessary actions needed to conduct a successful campaign in the state.

Training for ACF is given in a top to bottom manner as follows:

1. Financial Resources