Welfare aid for leprosy afflicted

For the 24th consecutive year, Sri Ramakrishna Mutt Charitable Dispensary and Diagnostic Centre  organised a special health camp for leprosy-afflicted persons on Saturday.

The centre, which works for the benefit of people from economically weaker sections, started its rehabilitation programmes for leprosy -afflicted persons in the year 1988. Till date, around 1,098 patients have been treated by the centre.

Around 23 leprosy-afflicted differently-abled patients have received welfare assistance  such as cycles, culinary products for starting tiffin centres and so on. Financial aid are also handed over to some of the patients. Around 13 children of differentlyabled persons were given educational support.

Dr N Sundaradevan, Additional Chief Secretary, and Chairman, Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited, was the chief guest on the occasion. In his address he said, “Leprosy is now curable. But even today some sections of the media are spreading wrong informations about this defect. It must be changed. When you see people with disabilities  standing on their own feet, it has been proved that disability is not in the body, but in the minds of the people.”

Mutt chief Swami Gautamananda graced the occasion. V Srinivasan, General Manager, Chennai Petroleum Corporation, and Dr Bhaskaran, Chairman, Sankara Nethralaya, were also present. Earlier, special eye and general health checkup camps were conducted for the leprosy-afflicted patients.