CUTTACK: An Orissa High Court order seems to have roused the authorities from slumber to change the face of a leprosy home at Lewis Colony in Balasore within a week. On August 9, the court had directed the collector and CDMO of Balasore district to improve the living conditions and medical facilities at the leprosy home within a week.
A joint compliance report by the collector and CDMO on Monday said in pursuance of the order, a regular MBBS doctor has been posted at the leprosy home along with two full time nurses having specialised training in leprosy treatment.
Two inmates, Malati Majhi (73) and Somrai Marandi (51) in precarious condition, have been shifted to the leprosy home and hospital at Naya Bazar, Cuttack. The other inmates have been shifted to a nearby primary school for repair of the buildings.
While the number of beds at the hospital has been increased from 20 to 25, construction of four new toilets has been undertaken for the 33 inmates. Two persons have been posted for regular cleaning and sanitisation of the temporary health ward / rehabilitation centre. This apart, one attendant-cum-sweeper and one dresser have been engaged on outsourcing basis.
The garbage cleaning programme has been taken up to clean the premises of the leprosy colony along with regular fogging / insecticidal spraying to check outbreak of malaria and dengue, the report said. Taking note of it, the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray posted the matter to September 2.
The court issued the direction on the basis of an interim report submitted by the three-member amicus curiae committee constituted by it to ascertain the actual condition of leprosy colonies in Puri, Jatni, Khurda and Balasore.
The court was hearing a PIL filed way back in 2015 seeking directions to the State authorities for effective implementation of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme. Bipin Bihari Pradhan, general secretary of the State Leprosy Welfare Federation, had filed the petition.