The leprosy wing of the Public Health Department took out an Anti-Leprosy Day rally here on Wednesday seeking to create an awareness of the need to eradicate leprosy and lead a healthy life.
Collector S. Natarajan flagged off the rally, taken out by the students of the Nursing College at the Government District Headquarters Hospital in the presence of S. Samiappan, Deputy Director of Medical Services (Leprosy).
The nursing students held placards cautioning the public about various early symptoms for leprosy and the need to take timely treatment. There were 38 leprosy cases reported in the district till date, since March, 2015, sources said. There had been a drastic reduction in the number of cases as the district had as many as 6,333 cases in 1988 and about 200 cases ten years ago, the sources said. A district could be declared leprosy-free if the number of cases was 0.8 per cent in a population of 10,000 and the rate was 0.21 per cent in the district, the sources said.
As part of the eradication programme, the leprosy wing had been conducting skin camps in schools and public places and taking out awareness rallies, the sources said.
The anti-leprosy day was observed on January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Government Hospital Superintendent K. Krishnamoorthy and Resident Medical Officer Sahaya Stephen Raj were present.
