Leprosy Mailing List – December 4th, 2007
Ref.:
A Note of Warning from India
From: Vijayakumaran
P., Chennai, India
Dear
Salvatore Noto,
This is with reference to “A Note of Warning from India”
by Dr. A. Salafia - LML 27 Nov 2007.
It is obvious that profile of new leprosy patients being
registered has changed. Deformities
are less among them now a days.
It has been observed that deformities among new cases
reporting to referral centres are always high (pre-MDT era to MDT era
till now). This is
because of self-selection of leprosy patients. Referral centres deal
with those patients with problems.
Those without problems do not generally go to these specialised
health facilities.
Series of questions come to my mind.
1.
Have we analysed number and profile of cases (attending
referral centres) over a period of time?
2.
Do we observe any change?
3.
Where exactly are these patients coming from? Cities like Mumbai have people
migrating from all over, from within the state and other parts of the
country as well.
4.
We have many referral centres. What
kind of referral system have been established to serve the under
privileged?
One cannot come to a conclusion that leprosy is rampant or
occurrence of deformities is higher, based on this fact alone.
The government health system caters to a large majority of
population in spite of many limitations. No one can replace the
government system. The
question is "how we can assist and improve the services". I feel that NGO referral
centres should play a key role in this area.
Dr. P.
Vijayakumaran
Chief Medical Advisor
Damien
Foundation India Trust
Chennai
