Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign from today

Sircilla: Several awareness programmes will be organised across the district to eradicate leprosy on Wednesday (January 30) on the occasion of World Leprosy Prevention Day, informed District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) Dr P Chandrashekar.

A meeting was held with Deputy para-medical officers present across the district under the leadership of Leprosy Prevention Programme Officer Dr B Sriramulu at DM&HO office in Sircilla on Tuesday.

Speaking at the meeting, the DM&HO said that World Leprosy Day will be observed across the country on January 30 on the occasion of Mahatma Gandhi’s death anniversary.

Taking inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi for the services he did to leprosy patients, 'Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign' will be organised from January 30 to February 13 across the district. Awareness programmes on leprosy will be organised in every village.

Programme Officer Dr B Sriramulu suggested the people to immediately visit nearby health centre for check-up if they find white dots or marks on their skin and don’t have sensation if pricked by pin. And if diagnosed positively, they must undergo treatment and take medicines, which will be distributed free of cost to them.

People must not show discrimination against leprosy patients and must treat them equally like any other normal people and must help in building a healthy society by getting awareness on leprosy.

Asha workers, ANMs, members of women groups and Self-Help Groups along with the villagers must actively participate in the leprosy awareness programmes that would be organised in villages to make them grand success, he appealed.

Dr Meenakshi, Deputy Para-medical Officers R Kashinatham, R Srinivas Swamy, CH Srinivas, K Suresh, Deputy DM&HO Anand Bhaskar and Health Officer Venkatesham were present along with others.