5 Months And No Aid: Madhya Pradesh's Tuberculosis Nutrition Fund Halted

For thousands of tuberculosis patients in Madhya Pradesh, the fight against a deadly disease has quietly turned into a battle against hunger. The Rs 1,000 monthly nutritional support promised under the Nikshay Poshan Yojana has not reached many patients for nearly five months, leaving vulnerable families struggling to afford even basic nutrition during treatment. Weak from treatment and unable to work, many patients say they are surviving on minimal food, as the Rs 1,000 monthly nutritional support promised by the government has not reached them.

For families already pushed to the edge by illness, the missing amount has become a painful gap between policy and reality.

"I have two sons and a husband... not even a single rupee has come," says Khurshid, a TB patient waiting for the support that was meant to help her buy basic nutrition during treatment.

Officials say the recent disruption is linked to technical upgrades to the portal used for processing payments.

Another patient says the delay has left him completely dependent on others. "I am not getting any money. I am sitting at home and not working. If I get the money, I can arrange food", he says.

Relatives say the small amount could make a significant difference in the recovery process. Dilip Thapa, whose father is undergoing treatment, says the money was expected to help provide fruits and better food. "They were supposed to send Rs 1,000, but it has not come yet. If it had come, we could have given the patient fruits and better nutrition," he says.

For Palki Bai, a daily wage labourer who has battled tuberculosis twice, the financial strain is devastating. "I work as a labourer... I have had TB twice. All the tests have been done, but I have no money left," she says.

The Rs 1,000 monthly assistance is part of the Nikshay Poshan Yojana, a central government scheme aimed at supporting the nutritional needs of tuberculosis patients during treatment. Medical experts stress that proper nutrition is as important as medication in fighting TB, as malnutrition significantly weakens the body's ability to recover.

Relatives say the small amount could make a significant difference in the recovery process.

But in Madhya Pradesh, the delivery of this support appears to have slowed dramatically.

According to data from the National Health Mission (NHM), the state has around 1.76 lakh TB patients, yet nutritional support funds have been distributed to only 15,228 patients, raising serious concerns about coverage.

Under the scheme, every TB patient, whether below the poverty line or above the poverty line, is entitled to receive Rs 1,000 per month throughout the treatment period. The money is supposed to be transferred directly to patients' bank accounts through direct benefit transfer (DBT).

Officials say the recent disruption is linked to technical upgrades to the portal used for processing payments, but doctors acknowledge that delays can have serious consequences for patients whose physical condition is already fragile.

Dr Lokendra Dave, Professor of Respiratory Medicine at GMC, says nutritional support is a critical part of TB care. "The government has made arrangements for diagnosis, management, psychological support and food support for TB patients. The aim is to help patients with nutrition because many poor patients face difficulty arranging proper food," he says, adding that payments sometimes get delayed because funds are released centrally.

Officials associated with the national TB programme say technical issues can also interrupt transfers.

Dr Devendra Gaur, Member of the National Task Force on TB, says missing bank details or Aadhaar linkage problems can prevent payments from reaching patients on time. "Sometimes patients' bank details are missing or Aadhaar is not linked. In such cases the money does not arrive on time. Our staff are working on enabling those details so that the payments reach them," he says.

Yet for patients waiting for the support, the explanations offer little comfort.

The central government has set an ambitious goal of making India TB-free, but public health experts say achieving that target depends not just on diagnosis and medicines, but also on ensuring that patients receive the nutrition necessary to complete treatment.

For many TB patients in Madhya Pradesh, the disease is already a punishing fight. Without the promised nutritional support, it has become a fight that is being waged on an empty stomach.