Abstract: Background: Tuberculosis is a very ancient disease of mankind; its description has been found in Hippocrates (460-377BC) observation, the ancient Buddhist and Chinese writing.
Objective: To evaluate the RNTCP through assessment of treatment outcome of the pulmonary tuberculosis patients registered for treatment under RNTCP in Tuberculosis Units of Satara district, Maharashtra.
Study design: Cross-sectional study.
Setting: Under District Tuberculosis Centre, Satara involving all the ten Tuberculosis Units (TUs) namely, Umbraj, Satara, Karad, Patan, Vaduj, Koregaon, Wai, Man, Phaltan and Belair.
Participants: Thus fifty (50) slides of sputum smear positive slides for tuberculosis and fifty (50) slides of sputum smear negative slides for tuberculosis were selected randomly.
Sampling: Simple random sampling.
Study period: From 2012 to 2014.
Results: The performance indicators regarding treatment outcome among pulmonary tuberculosis cases, the cure rate among all tuberculosis units on an average was 48.7% in 2012 which rose to 53.7% in 2014. Whereas treatment completion rate among pulmonary tuberculosis cases was found decline from 36.6% in 2012 to 30.6% in 2014. However majority of tuberculosis units have achieved success rate of more than 85% (>85%) except Bel-Air and Karad tuberculosis units where death rate and transferred out rate was also found higher though these two tuberculosis units are functioning in jurisdiction of tertiary care centre.
Conclusion: The overall success rate and treatment completion rate for pulmonary tuberculosis is found coincidently with the national targets given by the RNTCP.
