Rajshahi Tuberculosis & Leprosy Control Project (RTLCP)

Rajshahi Tuberculosis & Leprosy Control Project (RTLCP) is one of the four Damien Foundation project that has been functioning in the field of TB & Leprosy Control Program since 1995. The expansion was realized in mid 1998. This project covers three districts Rajshahi, Chapai Nawabganj & Naogaon (25 sub districts) with a population about 67,83,771 and 7,546 sq. km surface. Currently the project is operating 31 daily combined (TB & Leprosy) clinics in 25 upazillas. All the clinics are located in the government infrastructures such as; Health & Family Welfare Centre, Upazila Health Complexes, Chest Disease Clinic, and District Sadar Hospitals.

Different levels of Govt. personnel are closely involved with the project activities. In addition RTLCP has established a DOTS corner in Rajshahi Medical Collage Hospital in the year 2002. The unique feature of this project is “Community Participation” and this has been ensured through engagement of a dense network of about 2475 trained Fixed DOT Providers, most of them dare Village Doctors and Cured patients.

A “Regional Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory (RTRL)” has been functional at Chest Disease Hospital (CDH) of Rajshahi since May 2008. It plays a significance role in the field of MDR TB in Rangpur and Rajshahi division. Damien Foundation provides technical supports to the laboratory and in the management of 2nd line drugs in Rajshahi & Rangpur divisions (16 districts) covering about 26 million populations. Gene-Xpert and slide Culture Drug susceptibility Test (DST) for Tuberculosis are done within shortest duration by this laboratory.

Gene Xpert machine, a new rapid diagnostic tool for sputum examination for detection of TB bacilli and Rifampicin resistance was first installed in Rajshahi CDH in 2012. This rapid diagnostic technology is being gradually installed in all upazilas of the project by the NTP.