Anti-leprosy plan ready

Though the phased implementation of multi-drug therapy MDT has led to a drop from 5.4 per 10,000 in 1991 to 2.3 in 1998, as many as 15,567 cases were detected last year, while over 9,000 patients are undergoing treatment in hospitals. The number of childern among the new cases is 3,271, while the male/female ratio is 55:45.

Unveiling the strategies in the action plan, Health Commissioner R M Patel tells Express Newsline that the main thrust is to detect all the hidden cases and treat them promptly by making the MDT accessible to all the communities and the affected districts and talukas. It also seeks to imrprove patient care, including prevention and management of disabilities and community-based rehabilitation services to lepers.

quot;We propose to cure 9,789 patients being treated in hospitals and release them from treatment by this year-endquot;, Patel said, pointing out Valsad district accounts for the highest number of lepers 2,672 undergoing treatment, followed by Surat 1,479, the Panchamahals 1337, Bharuch 1,307, Vadodara 705, Kheda 468 and Ahmedabad 308.

He says the regular surveys by his department have indicated that about 13,000 cases were being detected, mostly from the six quot;highly endemicquot; districts every year for the last three years.

Among the cases, there are 12,481 patients having Grade II deformity and need require surgical intervention. The Health Department, with support of NGOs, had removed this deformity in 514 lepers at the recent 300-hour surgical exercise at the SSG Hospital in Vadodara. quot;Such reconstructive surgery will be conducted in the State during the year-long implementation of the action Planquot;, Patel says.

To make this surgery a continuous prgramme, plastic surgery units will be opened at Surat and Jamnagar medical colleges, while orthopadic surgeons will be trained to to make this service available at the district hospitals. Moreover, the posts of dermatologists and physiotherapists at all the district hospitals will be introduced this year.

Under the disability care programme, all physiotherapy centres in the State are being upgraded, with at least 17 more posts of physiotherapists being created at government-run hospitals. Workshops to train orthopaedic, plastic and general surgeons have been planned and all the leprosy staff will be given reorientation in the disability care.

The plan also envisages rehabilitaion of lepers in hospitals and leprosy colonies being run by NGOs. Each hospital will serve as a vocational training centre where lepers will be offered stipend to help learn and take up occupational activities after they are discharged.Besides, the government will provide assistance to the NGOs managing the lepers colonies.

A modified leprosy elimination programme is also planned from April 19 to 30, involving 31,000 health workers as searchers, 33,000 anganwadi workers/mahila swasthya sangh members and about 1,500 health supervisors and 3,000 mediacal officers, besides over 1,000 vehicles to implement the action plan.