PAUSTIK “Nourishing Hope, Healing Lives” 

Nutrition and community support to the Tuberculosis Patients

PAUSTIK (Nourishing Hope, Healing Lives) –Nutrition and community support for Tuberculosis Patients is a flagship initiative of Mother Theresa Charitable Hospital Trust, Kalaburagi, addressing one of the most critical yet overlooked drivers of TB—malnutrition. Launched on 17 January 2026 in collaboration with the District Health Office and Primary Health Centres, PAUSTIK supports economically vulnerable TB patients with free, balanced nutrition kits for the entire six-month treatment period, along with regular health monitoring and counseling. Evidence under the National TB Elimination Program clearly shows that nutrition support improves immunity, treatment adherence, and survival—making PAUSTIK a life-saving complement to free medical therapy.

In its initial phase, PAUSTIK aims to support 30 TB patients across 2 PHCs of Kalaburagi taluq, with a structured plan to expand to 300 TB patients of other taluks of Kalaburagi and neighboring Bidar district, where poverty and malnutrition remain high. Each patient requires an estimated ₹5,000 to ensure adequate nutrition throughout treatment—an investment that reduces treatment default, prevents relapse, and protects families from deeper financial distress. By helping patients recover faster and regain their ability to work, PAUSTIK interrupts TB transmission at the community level and restores dignity to affected households. Every contribution directly nourishes recovery, safeguards families, and brings us closer to a TB-free region.

PAUSTIK is more than treatment — it is dignity, hope, and a lifeline