Leprosy
Mailing List – November 27th, 2007
Ref.: A Note of
Warning from India
From: Salafia A., Mumbai, India
Dear
Salvatore,
This
has reference with the reports – in the leprosy mailing list – of
new cases of leprosy in certain areas (A Note of Warning from
Brazil, LML Oct. 23rd and following messages).
Let
me tell you in advance that the hospital where I work is a referral
centre for many NGO’s and, lately, for most of the Government
leprosy-control units in Mumbai.
Here we get, on an average, 20-25 new cases every month.
Just
today morning a sister brought to us, 4 cases of LL and one case of BB
leprosy (a 9 years-old boy) all of them with repeated reactions and
neuritis: some of these patients have been under treatment with MB-MDT
for 6-9 months, but one of them has just started her MDT treatment. Further one young boy, declared
cured, complaining of left ulnar neuritis of long duration.
A
few months ago, I received a letter from the District Leprosy Officer
(DLO) of Maharashtra (the State whose capital is Mumbai) with a few
pages of statistics on various issues. One
of the data struck me as odd; the DLO reported 9 cases of deformities
(in the entire State of Maharashtra) form the January to April 2007. Now, what it is odd:
-
Report of the work done is usually sent to DLO monthly. From
January to April 2007 we have operated:
Claw-hand
correction 3
Opponens
Plasty
1
Foot
drop 2
Neuritis
with damage 11
Lagophthalmos
2
-------------------------------
Total
19
All
these were new cases (I
am not writing about the ‘old cases’ operated which were another
22). Therefore, how can
there be only 9 cases of deformities in the whole State, when, in
Mumbai, we have operated 19 cases with deformities of various degrees?
This
is one more proof – if ever there was a need – of the mysterious
and misleading language of statistics.
Your
sincerely,
Antonio
Dr.
A. Salafia
Chief
of Reconstructive Surgery
Vimala
Dermatological Centre
Mumbai,
India)
