Hands On
Exposure to Leprosy Care
After a short stint with his colleagues at the SIHRLTC, Karigiri on the suburbs of Tamil Nadu, Andrew Lalchhuanawma of BPT is pleased with the way he enhanced his perspective on how to care for leprosy patients. Read on!
the buzzing sound from the alarm clock woke me up from my world of dreams. It was 4:30 am to be precise. Finding it hard to flip open my eyelids, I could sense my body longing and cajoling for an hour or two of additional sleep.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.
It was a Sunday morning. Accompanied by Mr. Simpson, the Class Coordinator and 21 of my colleagues, we set out for a place we had never visited before. As we commenced on the journey, the enthusiasm was palpable and the excitement filtered through the bus. Not even the cool breeze through the open window could dampen our spirits. Surely, nothing was going to hold us back.
After traveling for about four and a half hours, we reached Kadpadi Railway Station. The journey from the station aboard the tourist bus took us only an hour. Our destination was a remote area on the outskirts of Vellore.
Alas! We were soon there. I was taken a back looking at the scenic beauty. There were trees everywhere. With the sound of birds chirping on all sides, this is one place I had always longed for, a home, a place of peace and tranquility that I always craved. We were at Schieffelin Institute of Health- Research and Leprosy Training Centre, Karigiri. The place would be our home for the week-long clinical postings cum training programme for students of Garden City College of Physiotherapy.
Life is pain and we have to scrape out the joy every chance we get.
The itinerary for the week would commence each day at 8.00 am post breakfast and lasted till 4:30 pm in the evening. These hours would be utilized for theory and practical lectures. We were fortunate to have with us some of the renowned personalities in the country as our lecturers. The list included Dr. Samuel Salomon, Head of Department of Training. Mr. Charles Richard, the Coordinator and Dr. Priya from the CMC Hospital located in Vellore to name a few. It was such a privilege and honour to have them with us.
Within the short duration provided for leisure time, one couldn’t do without a trek to the hills of Karigiri. The view from a top the hill was breathtaking. With great reluctance, we would return back as the sun set in the west.
We also spent time sight seeing. One of the visits was to the Vellore Fort and the Physiotherapy Department of CMC Hospital. I would also like to cite the lavish dinner party at a restaurant called China Town.
Care for your thoughts as you would for your stomach with food.
The clinical and practical aspects of interaction with patients were enlightening. Not only did we interact with the patients but also studied their case sheets and assessed them. The field visit to a nearby village on one occasion also highlighted the ethical aspects of the trip especially how the society looks at leprosy patients. Not wanted by the society, leprosy patients are secluded from many social activities. They are forced to keep maintaining a certain lifestyle. This stricken anomaly tends to have an impact on them psychologically and some of them have suicidal tendencies. We all need to approach them and embrace them with the deepest feeling of love, care and affection.
Soon, it was time to leave. The day finally arrived with much anticipation as we as sadness. Saturday was the day we would be returning back to Bangalore. Besides, it was to be our day of graduation. The morning session witnessed the most awaited prize of all. After a brief clinical presentation given by each of the groups comprising four members based on the patient’s investigation, the graduation ceremony followed under the supervision of Dr. Samuel Salomon. The thesis was the ‘The Essentials of Physiotherapy in Leprosy’.
So, after a short stint at Karigiri, I feel deeply honoured to have been part of the team that ventured out to the suburbs of Tamil Nadu. The trip enhanced my perception and enriched my knowledge on how to care for leprosy patients. I owe my gratitude and high praises to all my wonderful classmates and the management who not only made the trip possible but a grand success.
