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A home of love, community and hope

13 Jan 2019

Once a hospital that provided housing and shelter, and even secluded space to over 900 people, now only houses 28 men and women. Leprosy, a contagious disease, mainly affects the skin and peripheral nerves took Sri Lanka by alarm during the Dutch reign. In the past, there was no cure and therefore people diagnosed with the disease were forcefully removed from his or her family, or thrown out by their own family members, and had to be segregated from the community. Housing also a sacred rune from the olden days, say it was built in the 1700s, the Leprosy Hospital of Hendala does not only provide a hospital for Lepers, but is also an amazing historical monument, only one of the last bits of conserved Sri Lanka which still remain. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18325"] Talking to the medical officer in charge at the Leprosy Hospital, Dr. G.M.J. Chandrasiri, we learnt on the terror and stigma associated with the disease back in the Dutch period, and sadly this is still prevalent in Sri Lanka. He said: “Due to the stigma which is widespread around most people in Sri Lanka about the disease, if and when people find out that they have leprosy through self-diagnosis, they sometimes tend to ignore it since they are ashamed to come forward about a patch or boil on their skin. When this occurs, with time, this disease has a toll on your peripheral nerves and grave wounds can start to appear on your skin.” Dr. Chandrasiri further stated that not many people like to come forward even if they have leprosy due to being scared of losing everything they have in life, as this happened in the past. But he urges that everyone should know it is no longer the same. “We have help which we provide you when and if you need it. I kindly request everyone around Sri Lanka, that if you have patches or blots on your skin where you feel numb or very little, there is medicine available now. In a range of 6-12 months, if you come forward, you can be completely cured of the infection,” Dr. Chandrasiri explained. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18324,18319"] Everyone with the infection is now allowed to freely walk into any government dermatology clinic in the country, which is usually situated at the base hospital level and upwards. The Directorate of the Anti-Leprosy Campaign is not only known to consist of The Leprosy Hospital in Hendala, but consists of three more main entities: Anti-Leprosy Campaign Director Office at Welisara, The Central Leprosy Clinic at National Hospital Sri Lanka OPD, and Technical Operations centre at the new building of the Ministry of Health. Dr. Chandrasiri continued to state that the vision of the Anti-Leprosy Campaign is a leprosy free Sri Lanka: “Our mission is to stop the transmission of the disease and to plan and implement cost-effective leprosy services to all persons affected with leprosy and to sustain such services to ensure a reasonable quality of life to those who are affected.” Not completely eradicated [gallery link="file" columns="2" size="full" ids="18323,18322"] It is indeed very evident that the number of Leprosy cases have drastically decreased in number, but doctors involved in the campaign would like to make it distinctively clear to everyone that it is not entirely eradicated from Sri Lanka just yet. Even though people with the disease are still present, none of them are being admitted to the hospital in Hendala. They are now all taken to the clinic and directly put on treatment to be cured. This is definitely one of the biggest changes that occurred in Sri Lanka for the better. People who were shunned from society and told never return to their families had new hope to be able to see their loved ones again. People, who worked for Rs.1 per day doing odd jobs, because that’s the only thing that society thought was befitting for them, are now allowed to continue their own line of work, combined with whatever they chose to do after getting the necessary treatment and becoming completely cured. So many lives have been tarnished by this infectious disease, but many more lives can be restored if Sri Lanka took a step forward in changing what they believe to be is Leprosy in Sri Lanka. With time, technology has changed, new medicine has emerged and new dreams were built on top. Now it is time to detach from the views of the past and look towards a brighter future. One filled with promise. An unfair and tragic life [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18321,18320"] The Sunday Morning Brunch took some time to walk around the hospital of Hendala talking to some of the patients that have been in the hospital for more than 20 to 30 years. On our way, we met with Edward Alwis. Edward who was brought in due to the infection of leprosy when he was just 14-years old is now 93-years old and resides in the hospital for close to 80 years. “I am the ninth in the family and being the youngest; by the time I got cured everyone in my family was older. They used to come to visit me in the past, but now they have all passed on.” With pain in his eyes and a smile on his face, he spoke to us about everything unfair and tragic that occurred in his life: “Everyone still thinks that leprosy is contagious and due to the tales surrounding us lepers, people have shunned us and our families, sometimes not even offering us a cup of water in the past. Everyone needs to know now that has changed! We are well! This is our home in Hendala and I live happily here with my family of brothers and sisters. Everyone should come out of this bubble and see that now there is new hope for us, and everyone out there! There is new hope for this disease and it is no longer incurable!” Talking to Edward and another beautiful grandmother named Neelawathi about the conditions that they were living in; they were very excited to let everyone know that they were treated with so much of love and respect inside the hospital of Hendala. Edward even went to an extent to request of The Sunday Morning Brunch to write about how kind and hardworking the attendants and doctors are. Longstanding care We spoke with a nurse who has been working at the hospital for 20 years. Neelaveni is a nurse at the Hendala Hospital; she was dressing the now old wounds of patients, while her child stuck to her skirt and played around. Speaking to us, she said: “I am 46 now. I’ve been working here for most of my life and everyone is like family to me. We laugh during our ward rounds and catch up on gossip, while giving them medicine.” [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18325"] The hospital really is, unlike any other hospital in Sri Lanka. The garden was well manicured, the floors were scrubbed and wiped, and friendly cats and dogs were seen lying around the hospital; providing joy and peace of mind to every elderly member inside the hospital, who were seen walking about enjoying their free time with one another. The place can now be called a home for loving elders. Even though all 28 of the remaining members were known to have a tough past, along with new hope through medicine and clinics around the country providing new opportunities, they are now seen to be living better lives – happier and content. You can reach these institutions on the following numbers. [gallery columns="2" link="file" size="full" ids="18327"] Leprosy Hospital Hendala: 011 293 0211 Anti-Leprosy Campaign Office in Welisara: 011 295 8734

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