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Touching hearts, healing lives
BINDU MATHEWBINDU MATHEW
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While most of us may turn our faces in disgust at those suffering from leprosy, here is an organisation that tends them with care.
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Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
A patient being treated at the Katherina Kasper Leprosy Control Centre
A DARK pale gaunt man walked in and stood at the door of the clinic. He looked pretty normal but as he walked with a slight limp and was barefoot, I happened to notice his feet. Three of his toes on his left foot were missing, the forth stub was inclined at a strange angle. Only the little toe looked all right. Besides, he had two bulging blisters on the sides of his foot, which were swollen and festered, which were probably painful.Instead of sneers, a warm, sincere smile welcomed him, followed by a concerned "did you give the chit and get the shoes?" He seemed comforted by the concern, the genuine warmth, and care, while I looked on in wonder. No one would say that the man was a leper who had come to get his wounds dressed. And Sr. Sharlene of the Katherina Kasper Leprosy Control Scheme did not seem in the least deterred.
This centre, run by the sisters of the Poor Handmaids of Jesus Christ, started its operations in Bangalore in 1978. While it started out only treating leprosy patients, it has diversified and also treats other ailments for the poor. The work is inspired by the care and concern that its founder, Katherina Kasper (a German nun) had for the poor, sick, suffering, and the needy. It is this concern for life that is the dogma and doctrine behind the running of this centre in Bangalore as well as other centres across the country (in Madhya Pradesh and Bihar).
This home takes care of the needs of poor leprosy patients as well as general patients. Everything, right from consultation, medicines, dressings, and tests are given to the patients free of cost. The working staff includes Puttanna, a qualified dermatologist and experienced leprologist, and five nuns (three nurses and two trained para-medicals) from the convent, besides the administrative staff, driver, gardener, watchman, assistant, etc. The centre is open between 8 a.m. and noon, and on an average 50 patients (including lepers and other patients) are treated here everyday. While most of the lepers are registered cases who come for dressing their wounds they come across new cases occasionally. Nicholas Victor, one of the lepers has been coming here for the last two years to get his wounds dressed. "Avaru Ollevaru (They are good)", he says about the nuns here. He is now almost cured of his disease and supports his family (wife, a boy, and three girls) by supplying brooms to various departmental stores near his home.
"There is a lot of misconception about leprosy that first needs to be removed from the minds of people to help remove the stigma attached to lepers. First, we all need to understand that leprosy is a curable disease and only the extremely positive cases of leprosy are infective. So it is like any other disease and not something we need to condemn," says Sr. Sharlene.
Research tells us that leprosy starts as a pale patch in any part of the body. This patch will show loss of sensation to touch, pain, heat, or cold. For detecting this skin disease there is something called a smear test (that involves making a small incision on the patch and other samples of skin tissue and nasal smears are taken) is conducted. Research also confirms that only two to three per cent of those infected get affected and even this can be curtailed with better hygiene.
The smear test is done free of cost at the centre, for both the rich and poor alike. "Anyone can get leprosy, you or me and this is not a disease of the poor alone. We get both poor and well to do people coming here suspecting leprosy. It is just that poorer people are at greater risks and are more prone to getting infected because of lesser hygiene and lack of awareness," says one of the sisters.
The sisters, besides testing and treatment, also give a lot of individual counselling to those who have tested positive for the disease. Says one of them: "We need to instil in them confidence to go back to their homes and live their normal lives without having to feel condemned and sidelined by society." The centre conducts seminars, film shows, exhibitions, and slide shows which are open not only for the patients but also for other nursing homes and healthcare centres to create an awareness about leprosy. The sisters also visit the homes of lepers in case of sickness and do the required dressing and bathing of wounds at their homes.
For the last year the centre has treated 1,000 cases of leprosy, besides other general patients.
The centre also has a tie up with the CSI Hospital to provide MCR (Micro Cellular) footwear for the poor lepers. This is essential for individuals in stages of leprosy who have ulcers on their feet and no sensation in the soles and hence the person would not have any sensation of a cut or a burn.
This type of footwear, therefore, helps to protect the feet and also to equalise the pressure on the feet.
While watching the patients at the centre, what struck me was that the greatest enemy of leprosy is not the blisters, the wounds, or the pustules, but the stigma that we attach to the disease. It is for us to change this. We also need to remember that those cured of leprosy are not patients anymore, but are normal people like you and me.
Funding towards this noble mission run by the sisters comes from their Mother House abroad. The organisation also welcomes funds.
Those interested in helping the cause may contact 5466695/Katherina Kasper Leprosy Control Scheme, 16, Hutchins Road.
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