Migrant influx prompts State to firm up leprosy control

Updated - September 23, 2016 04:11 am IST - Thiruvananthapuram:

The Health Department has strengthened its leprosy control programme on account of the increasing population of migrant labourers in the State, the Health Minister, V.S. Sivakumar, said.

Inaugurating the National Leprosy Eradication Day observance here on Saturday, Mr. Sivakumar, said that the services of over 1,500 School Health Nurses were being utilised to detect leprosy among school children.

Specially trained

All health field workers have been specially trained to identify leprosy cases and to initiate the follow-up measures needed.

Leprosy is fully curable and free treatment was available in all Government hospitals. However early detection was crucial. The government was also offering surgical solutions to those who were disabled by the disease.

Financial asisstance

A financial assistance of Rs.1,000 per month was being offered to all indigent leprosy patients and Rs. 8,000 was being offered for surgery.

In the current financial year, 444 new cases of leprosy was detected in the State through active case detection mechanism.

At present, 788 persons were being treated for leprosy in various public sector hospitals. Senior Health Department officials were present at the function. At the medical camp that followed the function, 411 persons were examined by doctors.

One new case of leprosy was detected at the camp.

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