Leprosy Project
Leprosy Project
Voluntary health services leprosy project (VHS Leprosy Project) founded under the ages of Sakthi Foundation with active involvement in National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NELP) since 1988. Now the project has grownup to cover a population of 4.58 lakhs besides running a well equipped hospital having 100% occupancy rate with all modern facilities of treatment like lab, physio department, etc. Apart from providing treatment in the hospital, door to door surveys are also conducted to detect disease  in various places where the occurrence is very high. By adopting multi-drug therapy, the rate of occurrence of the disease has been brought down to the lowest. The project has been recognized as a model project by the Indian Association of Leprologists.

Physical Rehabilitation

Reconstructive surgery by Dr.Sridhar, a renowned plastic surgeon from Madras, provision of micro-cellular rubber footware, introduction of intra-occular lens for leprosy patients with cataract free of cost. Prof. P.M.Leuenberger, a distinguished ophthalmologist from Geneva Medical School visited the hospital and performed surgery to patients and donated IOL Lenses to poor leprosy patients. Free eye camps are also conducted every year.

Socio Economic Rehabilitation

During the course of treatment, the leprosy patients are given training in sericulture, handloom weaving, etc. to get employment opportunities. Infrastructural facilities are provided to carry out the above with the help of sponsorship from various of social services organisations.

Research

Research is conducted on immune reactivity to M. Leprae Antigens through the spectrum of Leprosy cases and the contact population in collaboration with scientists from Madurai Kamaraj University viz. Prof. Dharmalingam and Porf.Muthukkaruppan. Many papers on the above research have been presented and published in the National and International journals. DNA study of Mycobacterium Leprae to study the original gene of M.Leprae and possibility to construct the Leprosy genome is being done.

Indo-Swiss Project

To develop a vaccine for mycobacterial diseases, research is going on for building up a genome by extracting the DNA on Leprosy Bacilli from human tissue. Dr.N.P.Shanker Narayanan, Chief Medical Officer of the Leprosy Project, was selected by the Swiss Institute of Biotechnology for Advanced WHO Fellowship on Immunology, Molecular Biotechnology and vaccinology of infectitious diseases. He was also selected as Asia Zone Representative to conduct refresher courses.

A Massive rehabilitation project called CLEAR is conducted  where Leprosy patients are given micro credit and children of leprosy patients are given free education. The word CLEAR stands for Community Leprosy Eradication Action Project by Rotary. This is a collobrative venture of three Non Governmental Organisations viz.

1. VHS Leprosy Project and 105 Rotary clubs in District 3200.
2. IDEA ( Intergrity, Dignity, Economic Advancement of Leprosy patients) and
3. GLRA ( German Leprosy Relief Association)

This project would be Role model which can be implemented in 16 leprosy endemic countries in the world.
 

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