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LEAP supports close to 3000 individuals battling leprosy

As part of its Leprosy Elimination Action Programme (LEAP), Allcargo Logistics Ltd. intensified its activities to create awareness and promote access to medical services for leprosy-affected persons, in Raigad district, Maharashtra, India.

Through focused and well-planned efforts, LEAP’s two key interventions implemented by partnering with ALERT-INDIA, reached out to over 2800 and over 150 beneficiaries respectively as well as created awareness about preventing disabilities and nerve damage among leprosy patients.

One of the key interventions of this initiative was the setting up of 4 Leprosy Referral Centres (LRC) at Koproli (Uran), Roha, Murud, and Mangaon to create awareness and provide medical services to help prevent disabilities in leprosy-affected individuals at risk of nerve damage as well as offer disability care services as needed.

All leprosy cases reported at the LRCs were clinically examined by the medical officer. On a case-to-case basis, physiotherapists carried out nerve function and disability assessment and provided services like electric muscle stimulation, wax therapy, ulcer care, and helped with aids like special footwear for insensitive feet, foot drop splints, goggles, etc.

Another important intervention was to set up 10 Disability Prevention and Deformity Care Camps (DPDCC) across 6 Primary Health Centres (PHCs), where quarterly visits of a mobile medical unit were conducted to offer medical care to leprosy patients in cooperation with the PHCs. The main objectives were to reach out to individuals in remote locations and make access to medical support and care sustainable.

Awareness was initiated at the level of key functionaries in the PHC and mobile medical camps were planned with their coordination and consent. Sensitisation was carried out among PHC workers who then participated in the camps as part of their job responsibility. This collaboration with local PHCs and synergy in efforts reflected in the success and positive results of the initiatives.