To reaffirm the need for more leprosy referral centres

Leprosy Mailing List – January 10^th, 2012

Ref.:    To reaffirm the need for more leprosy referral centres

From:  Vijayakrishnan B, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India.

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Dear Dr Noto,

I thank Dr Shimelis N Doni (LML Jan. 7^th, 2012 - New Leprosy Patients at ALERT, 2009/2010) for the very useful information, which should be another warning for leprosy programmes in all countries.  It may be wiser to learn from others’ experience than to wait to have the experience to one-self.

The recommendations on training and drug supplies may be appropriate in the context of Ethiopia.  But how much the general health staff would absorb the training and make it useful for the people needing care and management of reactions, diagnosis of neural leprosy etc., is difficult to predict.  This is not to discourage training to the general health staff, but only to reaffirm the need for more referral centres where people are given high quality services in leprosy.  The staff skilled in leprosy in such centres find more meaning and respect to their skills than in general hospitals.  

I also think the recommendation of developing a contact tracing programme very important.  In fact active case finding wherever relevant and possible should be promoted – even if it causes some deformity to the monitoring graphs.

Yours sincerely,

Vijay

Vijayakrishnan B

India Representative, Fontilles

201, Royal Heights, J J Nagar Colony, Alwal

Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh

India.