Discriminated and shunned by society after she contracted leprosy, Narasamma (32) from Nelamangala is now living a dignified life. She and 99 others, who have been cured of leprosy, are now State government employees earning about Rs. 15,000 a month. What’s more: most of them have got quarters to live in.
In a first for the country and aimed at fighting the stigma against leprosy, the Karnataka government recently gave permanent employment to 100 people cured of the disease. And all of them have been posted as ‘D’ group employees in the Health Department.
More than 30 of these new recruits are from the city-based Sumanahalli Leprosy Rehabilitation Society. “We are grateful to the society’s placement officer, Sr. Mary Mascarenhas, and former Director Fr. George Kannanthanam, without whose efforts we would not be here,” said Chidananda Naik (34) from Deodurg taluk of Raichur district.
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“I reported for duty as a ward attender in Jayanagar General Hospital on February 2. That was the most memorable moment of my life,” he said. Arjuna, who has been posted at the Haji Sir Ismail Sait (HSIS) Ghosha Hospital in Shivajinagar, narrated the difficulties he underwent before he landed in Sumanahalli society in 2000. Fr. Kannanthanam said the most difficult part of rehabilitation is to get them integrated into society. “We can treat them and give a means to live, but very often, families and society do not accept them. The government jobs have made a great difference to their lives,” he said.
Many of them are now government employees earning about
Rs. 15,000 a month.