New Delhi, Feb 10: Delhi's health officials and administrators Wednesday expressed concern over the increasing number of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis cases and said it was a growing health challenge.

"Only proper diagnosis and management of tuberculosis treatment can prevent serious complications of multi-drug resistant tuberculosis," Delhi Municipal Commissioner K.S. Mehra said.

"Regular treatment of the disease in an effective manner alone can lead to elimination of the disease in future," Mehra said at the inauguration of a government supported programme on multi-drug resistant tuberculosis at the Rajan Babu Institute for Pulmonary Medicine and Tuberculosis here.

Madhu Jain, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi's (MCD) director for hospital administration, emphasised that "proper treatment is the best cure" for the "growing health challenge".

J.N. Banavaliker, medical superintendent at the institute, said: "Tuberculosis patients having the multi-drug resistant form of the disease require specialised and expert treatment. Family and community support is vital for their recovery and leading a normal life.”

Banavaliker added that multi-drug resistant tuberculosis is a serious public health problem. "India has 25 percent of such tuberculosis cases in the world. Its prevention is of prime importance as it can lead to extreme form of tuberculosis, which is nearly untreatable," he said.

Tuberculosis patients are likely to develop multi-drug resistant tuberculosis if they leave treatment before completion or regularly default on taking prescribed medicines.