CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Monday expressed dissatisfaction over the state government’s progress in conduct of reconstructive surgeries under rehabilitation programmes for cured leprosy patients.
The court was hearing a PIL filed by general secretary of State Leprosy Welfare Federation, Bipin Bihari Pradhan seeking effective implementation of the National Leprosy Eradication Programme (NLEP).
In a joint convenience note, all three amicus curiae - advocates Bibhu Prasad Tripathy, Gautam Mishra and Pami Rath indicated that 39 patients were due for reconstructive surgery including 15 in Malkangiri, eight in Angul, seven in Dhenkanal, five in Rayagada, two in Khurda, and one each in Balasore and Kendrapara. But not a single patient had been attended to in the seven districts.
In 14 other districts, reconstructive surgery was due for 211 patients. The surgery to restore normal appearance of body parts by correcting deformity caused by leprosy had been conducted on 78 patients as part of the rehabilitation programme.
The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice Gourishankar Satapathy said, “Although some reconstructive surgeries have been conducted, many more patients remain. This court directs that the monitoring committee will take up the issue immediately and ensure under the direction issued by it all the patients awaiting the reconstructive surgery will be attended to and given relief in a time-bound manner and definitely within a period of three months from today”.
Special secretary (Public Health) Ajit Mohanty had filed an affidavit on February 10. The bench directed the government to file a better affidavit posted the matter to April 25 for further consideration.