9 March - The Leprosy Mission, Delhi

I spent a wonderful day at The Leprosy Mission (TLM) hospital in Nand Nagari and in a leprosy colony, meeting project staff, of the 'Shalom: developing leprosy colonies in Delhi' project, and residents of the colony. The leprosy hospital is one of 18 TLM hospitals throughout India. All treatment is given free, supported by monies raised worldwide through the charity set-up, as well as from non-leprous facilities offered in the hospital, such as orthopaedics, eye, skin.

As well as talking with the Medical Director, Dr Abraham, I spent a considerable time in the Physiotherpay Department with Indranil Ghosh, the chief physiotherapist, sitting in as he saw his patients: some were coming for their regular check-ups: recording their muscle power integrity, checking for damage to their de-sensitised limbs (eg one patient came with burnt skin from smoking cigarettes and not feeling/noticing when the cigarette and burnt down to his fingers), progressive corrective splinting for acquired deformities; others came just having been diagnosed with leprosy, still infectious, for assessment. Such patients are not isolated: only 5% of people will contract leprosy from another person and, as it can be easily treated (as long as it is discovered) with Multi-Drug Therapy (MDT), it is considered unnecessary to isolate. One such patient came in whilst I was there, sent from a private hospital. This was encouraging, as so often, hospitals just give the patient a course of MDT to take away with them, but give no thought to any additional needs, such as corrective splinting or surgery. TLM want all patients to be referred to them so that this can be done.

There are about 30 leprosy colonies in Delhi. I was taken to one of a group of many near the hospital. The Shalom project is concentrating mainly: on the mainstreaming into schools of the children of leprosy parents, against whom there is stigma by association; the provision of improved sanitation in the colonies. Last year, there was success with a local, enlightened principle of a private school who gave scholarships to 15 children to attend the expensive school. Even so, other schools are yet to follow suit. As so often, attitudes may take a while to change.

Variuos centres run by TLM provide employment for leprosy sufferers, thus enabling them to provide for themselves and their families. The products they make are available online or through catalogues. If you would like to supprt TLM, please have a look at their website.