The STDC works under the leadership of the STDC Director/Head of the Institution (STDC). She/he is an appropriately senior official from the state health system, preferably a TB specialist, or specialist qualified in Community Medicine or Public health or Microbiologist, having prior TB programme management experience, e.g., a former District TB Officer (DTO). In exceptional situation, the STDC Director/Head of the Institution may be from other specialties as per state policy. The STDC Director needs to be trained at National Level at a National Institute. This position is a regular and full-time post and the minimum tenure for a STDC Director is recommended for a period of 5 years, to ensure effective leadership at the STDC as well as to provide technical and operational support to the state in an efficient implementation of NTEP activities.

The staffing structure of the STDC should be given as mentioned in Figure 1. These positions may be regular positions from the State Health System or may be contractual staff as decided by the state health administrators. Three technical sections of the STDC – Training, SM&E, and the Intermediate Reference Laboratory (IRL) will each be trained at the National Institute. The Medical Officer-Training Division should be TB specialist, or specialist qualified in Community Medicine or Public health; Medical Officer-SM&E should be a specialist qualified in Community Medicine or Public health; while the IRL will be led by a Microbiologist.

The Medical Officer-Training is responsible for planning, organizing and conducting NTEP Training in co-ordination with other NTEP programme managers and medical college faculty. They ensure the availability of trained manpower and the conduct of need-based trainings at the district and sub-district level. They are supported by the Training Co-ordinator and a Statistical assistant. Together, they assess the training needs, prepare and execute the training calendar for STDC and district trainings across the state, according to the latest NTEP Training Guidelines in co-ordination with the DTOs and other staff.

Figure 1: STDC Organogram

The Medical Officer-SM&E supported by an epidemiologist, biostatistician/statistician and Ni-kshay Operator, are responsible to conduct SM&E activities, at the state and district levels and ensure the optimum programme performance as elaborated in the NTEP-SM&E guidelines. 

The IRL-Microbiologist is supported by the IRL staff as depicted in Figure 1 below. The IRL serves as reference Centre for diagnostic services and facilitates the establishment of decentralized facilities for TB diagnosis and infection detection. In addition, they will conduct laboratory-based hands-on training and External Quality Assessment (EQA) and Quality Improvement of decentralized laboratories functioning at the district and lower levels.

For administrative and financial functions, the STDC Director will be supported by an Administrative Officer, Accountant, Secretarial Assistant and other supporting staff (UDC-LDC). The Accountant manages the funds received for conducting the STDC activities and the Secretarial Assistant supports the STDC Director in general administration under the supervision of the Administrative Officer.

The RTPMCs need to follow the same staffing structure as the STDC, all of whom may report to the nodal STDC Director of the state. The senior most of the two medical officers at the RTPMC be in-charge of day-today administration.

When RTPMCs are built inside any existing state institutions, such as the SIHFW/Regional training institutions, the state may decide the organogram/reporting protocol for the staff of the RTPMC for administrative purposes. However, it is crucial to ensure that technical reporting to the STDC Director is maintained.

The above structure is the minimum HR expected for any STDC. The STDCs of larger states may need to be provided with additional staff, based on the load of activities. The norms for the qualifications and experience required for each of the STDC staff is mentioned in the latest HR norms and Terms of Reference (TORs), published by the Central TB Division (CTD).