Delek Hospital Key ZTB Partner in India

Delek Hospital is ZTB’s longest-standing partner in India. It is a nonprofit charity hospital that offers free and low-cost healthcare to the surrounding community including Tibetan refugees and the local Indian population. Delek was founded in 1971 and has grown to accommodate 50 patient beds and a team of 46 full-time staff. Its award-winning TB control program has been in operation since the early 1980s, providing diagnosis for both DR and drug-susceptible TB, and serves as a Designated Microscopy Center and drug-resistant TB center for the Government of India’s National TB Elimination Program (NTEP). It works closely with the district TB office and was awarded a center of excellence award for TB care by the NTEP. As a comprehensive health center, Delek provides integrated service delivery to people presenting with TB symptoms, and has special on-site facilities for antenatal, dental, and other types of specialized care. Delek Hospital has received support from the CTA, JHU, TB-REACH, AISPO, Stony Brook University, and international agencies. Women and females make up Delek’s entire nurse workforce, often overrepresented in ZTB’s mobile teams, much like the nurses in the institutions being screened. Delek’s extraordinary track record in person-centric TB care, as well as experience in service integration (TB-COVID-19, TB-mental health, TB-hepatitis B) ensures smooth and effective implementation as well as sustainability and equity. Recently, Delek’s daily routine before starting ward rounds – a session of meditation for doctors and nurses – has been showcased in the Lancet, exemplifying the holistic care at the hospital.