Speakers at an inception workshop in Gaibandha have said that the leprosy is not a curse. It has become a completely curable disease in all stages if the patients are taken under proper and regular treatment programme.
The inception workshop on Proyash-Accelerating Leprosy Services Project and Mobilization and Empowerment of People with Disabilities (MEPD) project was held at the conference room of Civil Surgeon in Gabandha on Thursday afternoon.
The Civil Surgeon and The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh jointly arranged the workshop.
Civil Surgeon Dr. ABM Abu Hanif presided over the function while deputy director of Local Government Section of Deputy Commissioner (DC) office Rokhsana Begum addressed the ceremony as the chief guest.
President of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) district unit, Dr. Shahiduzzaman Harun, Superintendent of GaibandhaSadar Hospital Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Sadar UNO Uttam Kumar Roy, Sundarganj upazila health and family planning officer (UHFPO) Dr. Yakub Ali Morol, and resident medical officer of Sadar hospital Dr. Shahinul Islam were present at the event as the special guests.
The function was also addressed, among others, by junior consultant of chest disease clinic here Dr. Nazmul Huda, technical support officer Keshab Chandra Roy, area development officer Shariful Islam and journalist Sarker M. Shahiduzzaman.
BSS adds: the speakers underscored the need for creating much awareness among the people about leprosy, finding out the leprosy patients and then bringing them under free treatment facilities to build a leprosy free society.
Earlier, project manager Jeorge Biswas made a power point presentation on the projects and said 3-year Proyash project funded by effect hope, The Leprosy Mission Canada would be implemented in the district till March, 2022. On the other hand, the MEPD project would be implemented in the district till July, 2022 with the financial support of Denmark, he added.
Civil Surgeon Dr. ABM Abu Hanif said leprosy is not a curse and it is like any other diseases and at present, leprosy has become a completely curable disease in all stages if the patients are taken under proper and regular treatment programme.
The loss of touch, pain and temperature sensations in the skin, loss of movement or paralysis of the muscles and loss of sweating and absence of itching are the early signs of leprosy which mainly spreads through the air, the CS concluded.
Upazila health and family planning officers (UHFPO), filed level health staff, NGO representatives, Community-Based Organization (CBO) leaders and beneficiaries including media men participated in the workshop spontaneously.
