Leprosy
Mailing List – November 22nd, 2009
Ref.: Can
the current health delivery system in
India
manage the leprosy burden?
From:
R Ganapati,
Mumbai
,
India
Dear
Dr Noto,
The
important role the unique internet medium initiated by you for
stimulating the thinking of several experts genuinely concerned about
the so-called “rare and neglected disease” of leprosy is
exemplified by the prompt response received in respect of the LML of 8th
November 2009 on the above subject. Besides
the response from Dr B. Vijayakrishnan,
India
Representative, Fontilles which you have published (LML dated 16th
November), I have received personal letters from Drs Grace Warren,
David Scollard and P K Das.
Dr
Vijayakrishnan in stressing the role of NGOs, has wondered “if BLP
(Bombay Leprosy Project) clinics were not existing what would have
happened?” This was the point which precisely was raised by me
during an interesting
debate which followed my presentation at the
New Delhi
. Conference of the
Indian Association of Leprologists. There
was no answer when I raised the point of how BLP’s specialized
services offered in its clinics which were financed partly by one of
the ILEP agencies recently received a set back due to abrupt
withdrawal of funds. We,
as an NGO are forced to run the clinics as well as a vast rural
disability care program through donations raised with difficulty from
a few individuals. Most
donors are made to believe that leprosy is finished thanks to WHO ‘s
policies and the efforts of the government.
Dr
Vijayakrishnan has also hinted that patients may form their own groups
for “advocacy” presumably to fight for their rights. Though this
is desirable, stigma associated with leprosy and lack of awareness
about their human rights by the poor patients are factors which may
render this proposition difficult.
With
kind regards,
Dr
R Ganapati
Director
Emeritus, BLP
