KIT Blog

Because of you, lives are being changed every day at The Leprosy Mission Philadelphia Hospital, Salur. Thank you for making the work at this hospital possible.

Your partnership means this hospital in India can focus on its mandate to be ‘people centric’. Each person who comes through the doors is a child of God to be loved… and not to be defined by their disease!

Take Ramana. Twenty years ago, he first noticed the signs of leprosy. Patches began to develop on his legs. An ulcer had also begun to develop on his right foot. He’d lost feeling in his legs.

When he was diagnosed with leprosy, he was devastated.

“The first thing I thought was, ‘Oh no! I’m going to be called a leper!’ I was told, ‘You are cursed.’”

He felt judged by people in his village. Despised and dirty.

“People in my village used to say ‘Don’t come close’ and when I walked past I’d hear them saying, ‘He has leprosy.’ I kept thinking to myself, ‘Why has this happened to me?’”

But at The Leprosy Mission’s Salur Hospital, it was different. Here Ramana found love and care. He received Multi Drug Therapy, curing him of the disease.

However, although he learned how to care for his nerve-damaged feet, he continued to get ulcers because of the hard labour he did daily in the fields. His left foot got so bad that he was unable to walk on it. Six years ago, after exhausting all other options, he was recommended to have this foot amputated to stop the secondary infection in his ulcers and foot bones from spreading.

But the Salur hospital has a special workshop to make prosthetic limbs – thanks to your generous support. The prosthetist, Arumugam Sradher (Sridher), made a customised prosthetic leg for Ramana.

“I love serving people affected by leprosy… I’m very happy when people affected by leprosy like Ramana are able to work again. I find it very satisfying,” says Sridher.

Ramana can now walk much better on this artificial limb… even better than he could with his real leg!

“Now I’m using the artificial limb, I feel perfect – everyone is more accepting of me now and I am very happy!”

This prosthetic has meant he can work again. Now he works delivering newspapers and selling books. This means he can keep sending his daughter to school, something he desperately wants to do. Ramana asks specifically for your prayers.

“Please pray for my family and my daughter, especially that she can continue in her education.”

Ramana’s story could have ended very differently if not for your support of the Salur hospital. He could have lost more than one foot or been left unable to work permanently. But because of you, Ramana can still work and support his family… what a blessing for him!

With your support, the Salur hospital can:
• Act as a referral centre focused on treating leprosy and its complications
• Screen and identify people with early signs of leprosy
• Offer 60 beds for leprosy patients who need to stay for ongoing treatment
• Give reconstructive surgery for leprosy-related deformities such as clawed hands or dropped feet
• Provide physiotherapy to restore mobility and function to leprosyaffected limbs
• Run a workshop to make prosthetic limbs for patients who have lost an arm, hand or leg
• Provide self-care training to prevent disabilities
• Counsel people traumatised by the stigma of leprosy.

Would you like to continue supporting the Salur hospital? Then please donate here.