Friday, April 12, 2019

(LML) Dreaming of a Leprosy Stigma-free World

Leprosy Mailing List – March 12,  2019
Ref.:  (LML)   Dreaming of a Leprosy Stigma-free World
From:  Ramesh Sharma, Pokhara, Nepal


Dear Pieter,

I wanted to share an experience. Today, in my OPD, I met a patient, a Nepalese migrant worker who worked in Abu Dhabi. He presented with asymptomatic nodules on the extremities to a Hospital in Abu Dhabi and was diagnosed as Lepromatous leprosy after skin biopsy. He was started on Rifampicin, Moxifloxacin and Dapsone, a month's dose was provided.

But, sadly, he was secluded from his group of colleagues, isolated from other people just because he was diagnosed as suffering from leprosy. He was kept in isolation for 1 month before he was sent home to Nepal. At the immigration also, he was scanned many times; underwent many formalities which was really depressing for him all that only because of the diagnosis: LEPROSY.

So, I think, it's high time that we raise this issue in international forum, among the government officials too that leprosy, once treatment started, is not contagious. no discrimination is required, no isolation is necessary. Only then can we dream of a stigma-free world for leprosy.

Regards, 
Ramesh Sharma


LML - S Deepak, B Naafs, S Noto and P Schreuder
Contact: Dr Pieter Schreuder << editorlml@gmail.com

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