A Fact-finding
Report
Having heard from some Activists-friends about untold story of leprosy patients in leprosy Colony located in
Balasore , a five-member fact-finding Team of Civil
Society Groups had visited Balasore on 6.9.16 to
ascertain the fact,
understand their conditions and
explore the possibility of intervention to address their problems. The Team members who visited leprosy Home and Hospitals located at Bamapada and
three leprosy colonies i.e. Madhusudan Leprosy Colony, Fakir Mohan Leprosy
colony Nuiajori Leprosy colony of Balasore town were as follows.
1.
Sri
Pradip Pradhan, State Convener, Right to Food Campaign, Odisha
2.
Sri
Pratap Sahu, Convener, Basti Surakhya Manch, Odisha
3.
Sri
Sanjay Sahu, RTI Activist and Member of Odisha Soochana Adhikar Abhijan
4.
Sri
Partha Sarathi Jena, Social Activist, Balasore
5.
Sri
Padma Lochan Datta, Senior Citizen, Balasore
During visit, the Team interacted with a number of
leprosy patients, local volunteers and Staff of leprosy Hospital, local MLA
etc. The following persons responded the
query of the team properly and enlightened them about deplorable condition of the patients and inhabitants of the colonies.
1.
Ganeshwar
Sahoo, retired Ward Attendant who was found well-conversant about the problem
of the patients and guided the team.
2.
Malati
Majhi, patient staying in colony for 25
years
3.
Dasarathi
Rout, Monitor of the colony
4.
Niranjan
Mishra
5.
Gobindra
Ch. Das, MLA, Remuna
1. History
of Leprosy Home and Hospital, Barapada
Balasore is the bordering coastal district of Odisha
to West Bengal. All the Leprosy Colonies are located in Balasore town which is
around 200 kms from Bhubaneswar, capital city of Odisha. In view of
large
number of poor people suffering
from leprosy considered as
dreaded disease in the society, Sri Rai Sahib Panchanan Khan, inhabitant of
Balaosre donated 11 acres of land for establishment of Leprosy Hospital
in 1945. This colony was named after
Sir William Hawthrone Lewis,
Governor of Odisha who inaugurated it.
This Lewis Leper Colony located at Barapada under Remuna Block provided space for leprosy affected people
to stay permanently as they require long term treatment for getting cure. In 1978, the State Govt. constructed 40 houses
for rehabilitation of leprosy patients and accommodated 60 patients and their
families in this colony in 1981.
During early part of 80s, the State Govt. also opened 20-bedded hospitals for treatment
of patients. The Team also
visited Madhusudan Leprosy colony which has been developed in due course of time
by the patients who got cure and started living together with their families
without going back to their native village.
Around 150 leprosy families are staying
in this colony in a very wretched condition without proper shelter and
source of livelihood. The team also
noticed few patients like Malati Majhi, an old woman leprosy patients residing
in leprosy home since 30 years.
Similarly, the Team also visited another leprosy
colony named Fakir Mohan Leprosy colony
where around 40 leprosy families
staying unauthorisedly close to railway
line under Balasore municipality since last 50 years. Their
living condition is very precarious.
Though they have approached the Govt. several times to
allot land in their name, the district administration has not taken a
single step to provide land to
them.
The Team also visited Nuniajori Leprosy Basti which is
the habitation of 20 leprosy families and 2.5 kms from Balasore town located on
roadside of Balasore to Kholadi coming
under Haripur Gram Panhayat. All are land less and living in abject poverty.
2. Problems
encountered by the patients
A.
The
Team observed that all the houses allotted to patients for living was found dilapidated
and not at all conducive for their stay.
The patients are forced to stay, as they could not find any viable alternate place for accommodation. Since 1981, these houses have not been
repaired by the Govt. despite several complaints filed before appropriate
authorities.
B. The sanitation in the colony is in very bad
shape. All the latrines are lying defunct due to lack of repair since last few
years. There is no latrine in the colony. The inmates make open defecation along
roadside. The Team also came across the
sewerage and drain water mixed with poisonous chemicals from Birla factory flowing through leprosy colony affecting the environment of
the colony with bad smell and creating health hazard.
C.The hospital condition is
horrible. The hospital is devoid of
doctor, staff nurse, attendant and dresser.
It is managed and looked after by two illiterate sweepers. The beds are found broken. There is no bed-sheet,
no accessories and nobody is there to take care of patients. The team came
across five old patients lying in bed without any attendant. An AYUSH doctor having no expertise to treat
the leprosy patients uses to visit hospital to treat patients once in a
week. There is no latrine in the hospital
and no drinking water. The people
alleged that in 2014-15 Rs. 5 lakh which was sanctioned for repair and
reconstruction of the hospital has been misappropriated by the Contractor.
D. As there is no dresser, ulcer of the patients is
not being dressed with medicine. The patients are asked to go to Primary Health
Centre, Remuna for dressing which is 5 kms from their colony. As the leprosy patients are handicapped and
unable to walk, nobody goes to PHC for treatment. Either they themselves make dressing or take help of co-patients
for the same.
E. A sum of Rs.
50.00 is allotted by State Govt. for
food of each patient in the colony. Though there is provision for supply of
cooked to the patients, there is no kitchen, no cook to prepare food. Dry food like rice, dal, and
vegetables are provided to the patients by a contractor engaged by the District
administration. The inmates prepare food
with a lot of hardship without any external support and consume it. They alleged that the contractor misappropriated
their fund and supplied less quantity of items to the patients. They patients also alleged that Rs.50 per head for food was also not sufficient to meet food requirement
per day. Though more than 60 people are staying in leprosy Home, food is
allotted for 33 patients only.
F. During visit
to Madhusudan Leprosy colony, the team observed that the colony gradually
developed nearby leprosy Hospital is the habitation of 150 leprosy
families. After a long fight and
persuasion, the district administration has allotted homestead land with patta
in nearby Gochar land to around 120 families in 2008. Then, around 60
households have been allotted house under Indira Awas Yojana(IAY) since 2009.
But astonishingly, not a single house
has been completed since last 8 years.
On query about reason for non-completion
of the building, they said that the fund allotted against IAY is not sufficient
for construction of a pucca house. We do not have a single penny to contribute
in order to finish it. There is no road
connectivity to the area. The cost for construction of house is very high
against allocation of fund. Sewerage and chemical water from Birla factory is passing through this
area. Though few of them have
constructed house, they do not prefer to stay in the house due to bad smell and
unhygienic condition.
G. There was Lift Irrigation point in Leprosy Home.
The people are cultivating paddy and other crops taking water from
L.I.Point. But due to over exploitation
of ground water by Birla Company which
has factory close to Leprosy Home , the L.I. Point got defunct, the ground water
went down which resulted in damaging production without water. The leprosy people have stopped cultivation.
Though they have approached the Govt. several times, no step has been taken for
functional of Lift Irrigation point.
H. Though there
is a Anagwadi Centre functioning in the colony, there is no building house for
the centre.
I. Total number of around 60 leprosy families of other
two colonies like Fakir Mohan Leprosy colony and Nuniajori Leprosy Basti are landless and living in very sub-human
condition. They are found hopeless and
helpless because after several approach, the district administration has not
been able to provide them land patta.
J.The State Govt. has not yet launched any programme
for their proper rehabilitation. So due
to food insecurity, they are found begging in the street for survival.
3Recommendation by the Team
After examining the details of problems encountered by
leprosy patients in all three colonies for years together, the Team is of the
view that the condition of the patients has got deteriorated due to sheer
negligence of the State Govt. and careless attitude of the officials. However,
the Team came forward with the following recommendations to the State
Govt. and district administration to
address their problem in order to help them to survive with
dignity. As the leprosy patients are
highly neglected and outcaste by the society due to their disease, they
continue to suffer till their death. So the Team feels that special
intervention by the Govt. is required to save them from humiliation, social
stigma, hunger and destitution.
A. As it is leprosy Home and Hospital, the State
Govt. should take steps immediately
to make 20-bedded Hospital
functional with appointment of doctor,
staff nurse, attendant etc. The Hospital
must be well-equipped with latrine, availability of drinking water, medicine
and supply of food to the patients etc.
B. all the half-broken and dilapidated houses must be constructed
by the Govt. with proper budgetary allocation on war-footing way. So that,
the leprosy patients can make decent living.
C.The State Govt.
should direct Birla Company to stop
release of sewerage and chemical
water through leprosy colony which has
created unhygienic atmosphere in the area.
D. As many houses allotted under IAY scheme are lying
half-constructed, the District administration should allocate fund for
completion of these house under various schemes at the earliest.
E. All the leprosy families of three leprosy colonies
need to be properly rehabilitated with allocation of land for their survival
within time- bound manner. So that begging
can be checked.
F. As drinking water stands major problem in all
colonies, the state Govt. should ensure
drinking water for all the people at
the earliest.
G. Lift Irrigation point must be restored and functional. The Agriculture Dept. should
be directed to promote cultivation under various schemes in the area. So that, the able-bodies leprosy patients will
generate income independently for their livelihood.
H. Allocation of Rs. 50.00 per patient per day is not
enough to strengthen their food security. So, the Team recommends that it
should be increased to Rs. 100.00 per patients.
I. The State Govt. should launch various schemes in
order to provide them employment generation activity. So that,
they can earn immediately and live with dignity.
Pradip Pradhan Sanjay Sahu Pratap
Sahu Partha Sarathi Jena
M-9937843482 M-8658416649 M-9040667449 M- 9658111827
