 Sputum smear microscopy, using the Ziehl-Neelsen staining technique, is conducted at the DMCs.This is the most widely available test with over 20,000 quality controlled laboratories across India.For diagnosis, two sputum samples are collected over two days (as spot-morning/morning-spot) from chest symptomatic (patients with presenting with a history of cough for two weeks or more) to arrive at a diagnosis.