Leprosy training for medical officers in East Singhbhum Jharkhand

A two-day leprosy training for medical officers was organized at the Civil Surgeon Auditorium, East Singhbhum, under the National Leprosy Eradication Programme. The training aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of the medical officers in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of leprosy and its complications.

The training was inaugurated by Dr. Rajiv Lochan Mahato, District Leprosy Counselor, who introduced all the participants and welcomed the trainer, Dr. Gautam Kumar, State Coordinator of Damien Foundation, a non-governmental organization working for leprosy control in India.

Dr. Gautam Kumar gave a detailed presentation on the various aspects of leprosy, such as its symptoms, types, transmission, diagnosis, treatment, reaction management, and disability prevention and medical rehabilitation (DPMR). He also demonstrated the use of various tools and techniques for leprosy examination, such as skin smear, nerve function assessment, and disability grading.

Dr. Mrityunjay Dhaudiya, District Leprosy Prevention Officer, shared the leprosy situation in the district and the challenges faced by the leprosy program. He said that 561 new leprosy cases were detected in the district in the current financial year, out of which 13 were new disabled cases and 15 were cured of their disability through reconstructive surgery. He stressed the need for early identification and complete multidrug therapy (MDT) treatment of leprosy patients to prevent disability and stigma.

He also urged the medical officers to implement the information received in the training on the ground and to treat leprosy patients with dignity and respect. He said that leprosy patients should be given access to the public welfare schemes run by the government and that the misconceptions and myths about leprosy should be dispelled. He said that leprosy patients should be integrated into the society and the mainstream and that their human rights should be protected.

The training was attended by 25 medical officers from different blocks of the district. The participants expressed their appreciation for the training and said that it was very useful and informative. They also said that they would apply the knowledge and skills gained in the training in their practice and would contribute to the elimination of leprosy from the district.

The training was coordinated by Nitish Tarai, Duryodhan Bagati, Suwarno Acharya, and Sanjay Chatterjee of the District Leprosy Prevention Office and Damien Foundation. They thanked the trainer, the participants, and the Civil Surgeon Office for their support and cooperation in making the training successful.