JAGATSINGHPUR: Already ostracised by the society, leprosy patients in the district, it seems, have been shunned by the administration too. Bearing the burden of neglect silently, these people continue to live in pathetic conditions without basic facilities.
The district houses two leprosy colonies, one at Somanath Haat of Jagatsinghpur town and the other at Bauriapalbandh in Paradip. While 15 patients reside in Bauriapalbandh, 10 live in Somanath Haat.
Families of 10 patients live in thatched houses on the embankment of Machgaon canal of Somanath Haat without any civic amenities. While the walls of the dilapidated huts are on the verge of collapse, proper sanitation is a far cry in the compound of the colony. This apart, basic facilities like housing, health, drinking water and electricity still remain a distant dream for these 10 families. And during rains, the situation worsens as water from nearby drains enters the houses, making the condition even more unhygienic.
Similar is the plight of families of most patients who are living in Bauriapalbandh. Of the 15 patients who reside in this colony, Lepra India Trust has provided housing facilities to only five while the rest live in inhuman conditions. Without adequate food and proper housing facilities, these families along with the children have been left in the cold.
Moreover, though the five families have been provided with pucca houses, these lack toilet facilities. All the women in the colony are forced to defecate in the open, thereby aggravating the sanitation crisis further.
Despite tall promises made by the authorities concerned, no steps have been taken to ameliorate their plight. The patients alleged that neither the district administration nor Paradip Municipality authorities have taken any steps to provide minimum basic amenities to the ostracised families living in these colonies.
A 75-year-old leprosy patient of Tiruna village in Naugaon block, who had to leave his wife and three children after being ostracised by the society 40 years back, is living in a pitiable condition. While he has been deprived of housing, healthcare and other basic facilities, the leprosy pension he receives is too meagre an amount to fulfil his needs.
While some leprosy patients earn their livelihood by begging, others pull rickshaws during the day and come back to their colonies after sunset. ‘’Filling our stomach is not a worry. The handful of coins we earn by begging is not enough to educate our children. With no option left, some have even pushed their kids into begging,’’ rued another leprosy patient. Meanwhile, the Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) had recently asked the Chief District Medical Officer of Jagatsinghpur to give a detailed report on the plight of the ostracised leprosy patients. The OHRC move came after a petition was filed by social activist Subash Das highlighting the pitiable plight of the patients.
Contacted, District Leprosy Officer (in-charge) Maheswer Pradhan said as per the directive of OHRC, the administration submitted a report on the plight of leprosy patients last week. ‘’Steps have been taken to provide basic facilities to leprosy patients,’’ he added.