The Central Leprosy Division of Directorate General of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in association with Novartis Comprehensive Leprosy Care Association (NCLCA) and Tata Department of Plastic Surgery, JJ Hospital recently released new guidelines on disability, prevention and medical rehabilitation (DPMR) for National Leprosy Eradication Programme in India.
The new guidelines include proper management of leprosy cases and the complication developed before, during and after treatment. It also envisages involvement of medical colleges as tertiary care centres in order to provide the constructive surgery and physical aids and appliances required for proper management of leprosy related complication.
Dr CM Agarwal, Deputy Director General, Leprosy, Government of India said, “the aim was to modify the existing operational guidelines meant for primary, secondary and tertiary levels and bring out a comprehensive volumes of guidance, for better coordination at all levels and reduce visible disability due to leprosy in the coming years.”
The DPMR activities are scheduled to be carried out in a three-tier system i.e. the primary level care (first level), secondary level care (second level) and the tertiary level care institutions (third level). The primary level care will start from village or community level to community health centre (CHC) level in rural areas, sub-divisional hospitals and urban leprosy centres/ dispensaries in the urban areas. DPMR OPD clinic will be established at CHC and sub-divisional hospitals by trained leprosy paramedical worker under the guidance of MO in charge. Secondary level care centres will include district hospitals and district nucleus teams. At some places, secondary level care can be availed in the NGO supported leprosy units. The tertiary level will look after complicated cases referred from primary or secondary level.
EH News Bureau
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