Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, January 07 2010:
A total of 301 people infected by leprosy are living in the state.
This indicated that one person for every 10,000 heads of the state suffered from the disease, said state leprosy officer and also programme officer of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme, Dr S Sukumar.
Speaking at the seminar on leprosy as part of 70th foundation day celebration of the All Manipur Nupi Marup as guest of honour, Dr Sukumar further said that in the effort to eradicate leprosy and prevent from causing handicapped to the people affected by the disease, India government has set up 20 new medical colleges dealing specially with leprosy.
Apart from providing free of cost orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery facilities to the leprosy patients, government is awarding Rs 5000 to those persons or ASHA workers who brought up people suffer by the disease in the leprosy centres.
Manipur government has also recommended the state leprosy hospital into a medical college dealing with the disease, Dr Sukumar as government considered it important for the state also.
By thinking that state has less number of leprosy patients, state cannot remain silent without taking initiative.
There may be a lot of people who are suffering from the disease, he observed appealing the people not to conceal if one is found suffering from the disease.
The foundation day of the All Manipur Nupi Marup held at Irawat Bhavan was graced by president of the body Y Ibeni and K Kadambini.
Speakers on the occasion recalled the history of assistance of the body since it was first founded as Manipur Mahila Samilini on January 1976 .