Nikkei Scholars 日系留学生

BaBA5 Retreat: Gandhipalli

Posted on 13. Feb, 2009 by Gustavo KISHIMOTO in *English*, Featured, Nikkei Chronicles

“Cosmic synchronicity” was one of the phrases that enlightened yesterday’s evening.   I couldn’t imagine that one day after; this phrase will be fully comprehended. Mr. Rajaretnam (Special Advisor to the ASEAN Secretary General on Community Building and Outreach) approached me at the dinner and asked me if I were interested to meet some Indian physicians who run surveillance programs for infectious disease.   Of course, I was quite interested to interact with local colleagues.

After breakfast, Sandra and I met Dr L. K. Mishra and Dr Dave Mishra. They are running a surveillance program for Hansen Disease, tuberculosis, HV and malaria in isolated communities since a year.  Suddenly, they invited us to visit one: “Gandhi Community”.  The invitation was quite unexpected, but we were very curious and accepted this new adventure.

We had been told, that entire population comprising Gandhipalli and Nehrupalli is about 5000, including persons with active Hansen disease.  Some of this patients with sequelae live with their relatives in the community.

As Hansen disease has been declared eliminated in India since 2005, patients can’t receive adequate medication. Above this , they should isolate themselves and go into exile leaving their families.

We looked in medical networks to inform ourselves about the incidence of Hansen disease in USA.  We found that 96 new cases were reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the United States in 2002*.  It is also estimated that 500,000 new Hansen disease cases are identified each year worldwide.

Gandhi inhabitants have 11 cases of active disease up-to-date. However, sequelae and other complications are the major problem. Within complications, we saw infected dermic ulcers, and amputations due to skin cancer.

Moreover, one of the active cases was a 4-year-old boy.  He is been treated with free drugs from Dr Mishra’s association.  Although, Dr Mishra told us that sometimes they can’t afford enough drugs for everybody.

After visiting many patients at their homes, we sat for a round of questions.  Dr Mishra told us that 16 volunteered young physicians collaborate with this initiative.  They train local facilitators to recognize lesions and to report them (new cases, complication or any emergent disease).

Tags: Asia, BaBA5, Dr. Mishra, Gandhipalli, gustavo kishimoto, Hansen disease, India, leadership, naomi asazu