For a number of years, the Club has provided a bed in the St Luke’s Leprosarium at Peikulam, Tamil Nadu in the Thoothukudi-Nazareth Diocese of the Church of South India. (http://www.lincstoindia.org.uk/st-lukes-leprosarium-peikulam.html )
It is a referral centre for leprosy patients suffering from complications that cannot be managed elsewhere and offers a cure and treatment for the disease. Dedicated and qualified staff who understand the sufferers’ needs, be they the actual suffering from the disease or the social stigmas that are still attached to leprosy, bring hope into lives that were formerly filled with despair. There are two wards for men and one for women, each having 32 beds. These in-patients receive free treatment, food, accommodation and clothing.
- Leprosy is a bacterial disease which affects the skin and nerves
- The first sign of leprosy is usually a patch of discoloured skin
- If left untreated, leprosy causes loss of sensation, paralysis, ulcers and infections, which can lead to blindness and amputation
- 600 people are diagnosed each day and 50 of these are children
- We believe over 3 million people are living with undiagnosed leprosy
- Over 4 million people are living with a disability caused by leprosy
- Leprosy carries a terrible stigma; often people are shunned by communities, or even their own family when they show symptoms
- Leprosy affects men and women in the ratio of 2:1. The general plight of the leprosy patient is desperate but for female sufferers the situation is tragic. A wife will support a sick husband but a man will often abandon his sick wife plus their children who are usually healthy.
- The club has raised money from the proceeds of our Santa’s Sleigh (in conjunction with Round Table) and our Sleaford Christmas Market Stall in December 2016.
- Two mobility devices were purchased to assist staff at the Leprosarium commute to work and go about their duties at a cost of £1920. This includes a grant of £924 from District.
- Mrs Amali required an electric wheel chair to help her general mobility around the Leprosarium and her home. It helps her carry out her job at the Leprosarium and makes it easier to look after her family.
- Mrs Rajeshwari required a three-wheeled mobility scooter to help her get to work and to carry out her duties in the community in support of the Leprosarium.
- Both ladies have suffered from leprosy and Mrs Amali from Polio too.
