Leprosy Mailing List – October 12th, 2011
Ref.: Photos from Ecuador
From: R Ganapati, Mumbai, India
Dear Dr Noto,
Dr Verduga's beautiful clinical photographs (LML Sept. 27th, 2011) have indeed simulated veteran leprologists to give their comments arising from years of meticulous clinical observations. Though in India we encounter all the manifestations reported from Ecuador and much more (thank you also to Dr Salafia for sharing his cases), the clan of students keen to learn leprology is unfortunately vanishing fast in the background of prevalence rate of leprosy rising after the government decided to integrate leprosy services of the disease with the general health system.
In this context the response from clinicians through the LML forms a veritable primer in the subject covering, clinico-bacteriological aspects, skin smear investigations treatment of leprosy and complications in a nutshell.
I have prepared a file of the LMLs including the photographs to facilitate me to teach the beginners wanting to have elementary knowledge of leprosy. But where are they? "Made-easy" classification of leprosy, elimination of skin smear examination, over-simplification of treatment for mass usage, dogmatic teaching by a few teachers with little experience etc. are factors which have conspired to halt the progress of scientific approach to leprosy. Even some diseases which are much rarer than leprosy have not been dealt with in this cruel manner by the medical profession and health planners!
My compliments to you for being a pioneer in using internet medium to spread knowledge around the world.
With regards,
Dr R Ganapati,
Director Emeritus, Bombay Leprosy Project
rganapati(at)gmail.com
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