New Delhi TBCentre

In 1940 the Tuberculosis Association of India and Government of India decided to set up jointly the New Delhi Tuberculosis Centre as a model clinic. Dr. B. K. Sikand, the first Director of the Centre and Dr. C. Frimodt Moller, evolved the concept of home treatment of tuberculosis and planned the Centre to try the domiciliary treatment scheme. In 1951, the clinic was upgraded as first TB Training and Demonstration Centre in the country with the assistance from WHO, UNICEF and Government of India. Six full fledged sections were started for smooth running of the centre namely:

• Clinical Section
• Laboratory section
• Epidemiological Section
• Public Health section
• Statistical Section
• Administrative Section 

The Centre is provides teaching and training facilities to the under-graduate students of Maulana Azad Medical College (MAMC), Interns of Lok Nayak Hospital and post Graduate students of Vallabhbhai Patel Chest Institute, Delhi University. It also has one Modular Training Programme in tuberculosis for fresh graduates and interns of MAMC. The Centre has also developed a Modular Training Programme in Bio-Statistics for medical post graduate students of Delhi University. Multi Drug Resistant TB Clinic was also started in the Centre in August, 2002. The Centre was designated as STDC for the state of Delhi in the year 2005. Since then the Centre has been imparting training and retraining facilities to the medical and paramedical staff of the 26 Chest Clinics under RNTCP.
The Centre runs a TB Supervisor course of three months’ duration for students from Delhi and various other states of the country. It also imparts training to nursing students from various institutions such as Lok Nayak Hospital, Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Lady Reading Health School and Rajkumari Amrit Kaur College of Nursing.  
            
Revised National TB Control Programme (RNTCP) is being implemented in the Centre in January, 1999. At present the Centre covers a population of 0.2 millions. It has two DOTS cum Microscopy Centres (at NDTBC and Ayurvedic Dispensary Sita Ram Bazar). Two DOT Centres are also operational, one at Vakil Pura and other in slum area of Indira Colony which is run with the help of NGO. Under RNTCP, the Centre is providing modular training to medical officer, senior tuberculosis laboratory supervisors and laboratory technician. 
             
The Centre is engaged in the dissemination of knowledge among general population about tuberculosis control holds community meetings, for this purpose, it conducts health education through flip charts and video film. The Centre mobilises assistance to the poor patients and their families from a number of agencies.   
            
The Centre has a quality assured, well functioning Laboratory which has been designated as Intermediate Reference Laboratory by Central TB Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Government of India. The culture of mycobacterium and Drug Susceptibility Tests (DST) is performed in routine here. In addition, culture and DST is also carried out for samples of MDR suspects referred, from 15 out of 26 Chest Clinics of Delhi. The IRL along with NRL at LRSI have been truly the backbone for bringing the entire State under DOTS PLUS MDR Treatment in 2009, ahead of many other states.
The infrastructure of BSL III is truly an execution of exploring new ventures to cater the needs and treatment of TB patients at NDTBC. The BSL III Lab is operational and is functioning well with the introduction of newer diagnostic tests like Liquid culture MGIT 60 and Line Probe Assay (which gives the results within one week) with guidance and support of WHO, FIND and Government of India. The laboratory is providing free service to TB patients coming through RNTCP.
At present, the institute has following activities:

• Referral OPD services for TB and Allied diseases patients.
• Special Clinics for TB and Diabetes, TB and HIV, COAD and Tobacco cessation clinic.
• State TB Training and Demonstration) Centre related activities.
• Intermediate Reference Laboratory activities.
• Research in the field of TB and Respiratory Diseases.