Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital

Pakistan

Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital, founded in 1904 by an American professor teaching at the Gordon College, serves victims of Hansen's Disease in the northern part of Pakistan. The professor saw the need for basic care and shelter of people who came because damage caused by secondary infection had become so obvious and crippling that they could no longer remain in their villages.

Today, Rawalpindi is a referral hospital, but not an ordinary one because many of the patients come from far away (sometimes 600-800 km). The atmosphere is cheerful. The patients get free medical treatment for leprosy and concomittant diseases, as well as free boarding and lodging in the hospital. Emphasis is put on physical, psychological and social rehabilitation of leprosy patients. Of the over 2,900 patients registered, only 24 permanently live at the hospital. All others are outpatients or are admitted temporarily.

Leprosy or Hansen's Disease, is a chronic, mildly contagious disease caused by a germ which affects mainly the skin and nerves. There are two main forms of leprosy - the infectious type which develops in patients with low immunity and the non-infectious type which develops in patients with high immunity. Approximately 70 per cent of the cases of leprosy throughout the world are the non-infectious type. Since the development of multi-drug therapy, leprosy is a disease that can be treated and cured within two to three years. Patients are encouraged to come for treatment early. Physio-therapy treatment is particularly important to avoid crippling. While effective treatment is the hospital's main concern, efforts are also made to give health education to the public and educate doctors and nurses about leprosy.

In addition to the treatment of leprosy patients, there is a General Skin Clinic, a General Physiotherapy Department and an Orthopedic Shoeshop. Since 1995 the leprosy outreach programme is combined with a prevention of blindness programme. Almost 20,000 eye patients are seen every year.

Dr. Christine Schmotzer from Germany is the administrator. Grants from the PC(USA) Thank Offering and funds from Extra Commitment Opportunities Giving (Acct. #862367) assist the Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital.