Orissa News - LEPRA Society, Healthcare NGO, India

Annual Reports - Regional Office - ODISHA
	Odisha - 2009

Leprosy

Prevention of Disabilities

The Society is not only facilitating the NLEP with GHC system, but also renders the comprehensive care for all types of consequences/complications of Leprosy. The complications like reactions, neuritis, disabilities and social stigma were taken care through

a)	Capacity building activities
b)	Intensive care facilities through three in-door centers
c)	Re-constructive surgery
d)	Provision of protective aids/appliances and
e)	Socio-economic rehabilitation

Reconstructive Surgeries

LEPRA Society has 11 years of its expertise in reconstructing the functional abilities and appearance for the persons having deformities due to leprosy. More than 1600 beneficiaries have utilized this facility through 2400 surgeries. During the year 2005, 240 surgeries were conducted as against the plan of 300. Since the demand in many directly operating LEPRA projects has been nearly fulfilled with very few backlog cases, it has been planned to expand RCS facilities to the entire state from the year 2006.

Taking in to consideration the operational difficulties especially the patients mobility from far off places to Hoina, it has been decided organize RCS at RLTRI, Aska (in the eastern part of the state) and at the Mission Hospital, Bargarh (north-western part of the state).

Presently, the Society in partnership with Govt., of India is working to organize a RCS center at RLTRI, Aska. As a preliminary step, a surgical session was conducted where 10 patients have been operated with assistance of Surgeon from TLM. Physiotherapy assistance and some OT consumables were extended by LEPRA. Dialogue is on to finalize the modalities with the Mission Hospital, Bargarh to carry forward the initiative. The society aims to procure these services on a payment basis.

District Technical Support Teams

The aim of the District Technical Support Team (DTST) project is to strengthen integration of leprosy services in the General Health care system and to improve quality of services to persons affected by leprosy in all health facilities. The project was established by 5 ILEP (AIFO, TLMI, GLRA, ALES and LEPRA (8 districts) members with LEPRA Society as the State ILEP Coordinator in all the districts of Orissa. The project has started functioning since May 2004 after signing MoU with Govt. of India and Govt. of Orissa.

The following perceptible achievements were observed in the State NLEP programme with a substantial contribution to the national achievement by the support of the DTST.

•	Organised leprosy trainings for 103 District Nucleus Team members; workshop/ seminar for 300 Medical students, 273 Interns and 275 faculty members.
•	Organised 7 Mega POD camps at district level providing POD services to 430 patients and training to 82 MOs and 281 HWs.
•	Organised 86 PRI workshops (6018 participants) for generating demand for leprosy services by the community members.
•	Published learning materials on leprosy diagnosis & treatment and Prevention of Disability for Medical Officers, Faculty members, Health Workers and PRI members.