Bombay Leprosy Project celebrates Children’s Day

Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP) working for the welfare of leprosy patients is supporting a Slum Children Literacy Class (SCLC) since October 2004 for the children affected by leprosy along with street children in an integrated manner.
SCLC is sponsored by SURDEEP an NGO from Japan with focus on child education.

Children’s day is a special day for the children. Children’s Day is observed on 14th November as the date marks the birth anniversary of legendary freedom fighter and India’s first Prime Minister – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. As a tribute to Nehru and his love for children, Children’s Day is celebrated on his birth date. This day reminds to renew the commitment to the welfare of children and teach them to live by Nehru’s quality and dream.

To commemorate this day, 50 children from the class were given sweets in a small program organized in the SCLC at Acworth Municipal Hospital Complex where the class is functioning. School bags and stationeries were gifted by BLP to all the children. Dr (Ms) S M Bhat, Senior Medical Officer from Acworth Municipal Hospital for Leprosy distributed the gifts. Dr V.V. Pai, Director, BLP, Sister Seraphine of Monsoon and Sunshine class, Mrs Pai, Field Officer, BLP and Mr Subhash, Manager, BLP thanked the Acworth Municipal Hospital for Leprosy of Bombay Municipal Corporation for helping in the activity.

BLP News
Will Post-Graduates take interest In Leprosy?

Is neglecting the “Neglected Disease of Leprosy” the fault of the students? To seek an answer, the Indian Association of Dermatologists, Venerologists and Leprologists - Maharashtra Branch (IADVL-MB) in collaboration with Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP) took a bold step and arranged an one-day Academic Session in Sion Medical College on 8th June’2008. To attract the students and create interest in leprosy, subjects like Lasers, Biologics, HIV Medicine etc. were deftly added.

A large number of medical students of Maharashtra enthusiastically listened to the subject of leprosy being succinctly explained by veteran leprologists like Dr R Ganapati, VV Dongre and VV Pai as well as stalwart dermatologists, such as Drs CM Dambre (President, IADVL MB) Uday Khopkar, S Tahliani, Kiran Godse etc. Recent advances in leprosy in the areas of diagnosis, pathogenesis, chemotherapy & complications were provided in learner-friendly “made easy” packages. Academic publications by BLP were distributed. A variety of leprosy patients were demonstrated.

The students gleefully participated in an exciting quiz session with attractive prizes. It was remarkable that tough questions on leprosy were answered with confidence.

The organizers were confident that “Yes, the post-graduates will take interest in the neglected topic of leprosy if the subject is taught in an attractive manner”.

BLP News

Bombay Leprosy Project

WORLD TB DAY OBSERVED BY BLP

On the occasion of World TB Day on 24th March 2008, Bombay Leprosy Project, organized awareness programmes in the community keeping in line with the WHO theme of “TB anywhere is TB everywhere”.

To support the Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme, BLP runs two DOTS Centre in collaboration with the Bombay Municipal Corporation in the slum community of G and H wards of Bombay.
In H ward, BLP runs a DOTS Centre in Behrampada, Bandra (East) since 2002, and in G ward, the DOTS Centre is functioning at V P Nagar under Jijamata Health Post, Worli, since 2004. The DOTS centres cater to patients in the local community to facilitate better treatment in the slum.

On the occasion of World TB Day, BLP held a health exhibition to promote awareness about the disease and distributed leaflets to educate the masses on the significance of early diagnosis and completion of treatment. The exhibition was well attended by the patients and their relatives and also the general community to take advantage of the occasion. The exhibition was inaugurated by Mr Shabbir, Hon Secretary, Behram Nagar Committee, Bandra at the Bandra DOTS Centre.

At the Worli DOTS Centre, an exhibition was arranged for the patients and slum community and leaflets on early identification and regular treatment of TB was distributed to the general public.

An Appeal to the Donors

· Cost of Leprosy treatment should not be that high
· Think before you donate

Dear Donors,

This refers to the comparison of claimed cost of leprosy service

I am glad that a research paper explaining the details of how the cost factors were worked out by us in Bombay Leprosy Project (BLP) was presented at the recently concluded International Leprosy Congress in Hyderabad.

The paper was appreciated by the experts who attended the Session from various countries at the Congress.

We have recruited over 1000 patients under Leprosy Patients Relief Fund and the follow up is in progress.

Dr R Ganapati, Director Emeritus, BLP

PS: This is a request to all donors to be highly conscious about the cost benefit ratio before offering funds for leprosy relief work.

Cost of treatment of one leprosy patient

Dear Sir / Madam,

Kindly refer to my earlier email sent to you in December, 2006 on the above subject.

The Leprosy Mission in their appeal for leprosy donation mention that they could “heal” only 10 patients, out of US $ 4566.00 they have raised recently.
You are aware of the “Leprosy Patients Relief Fund” of Bombay Leprosy Project. Please note that under this Scheme we would be able to mange about 268 patients with a donation of $ 4566.00, the cost per patient in our hands being just $ 17.00.
I would like to reiterate that this cost does not include expenses towards maintenance and establishment etc. Funds are used directly for services to patients and service- providers.
I urge donors to be cost-conscious when they give funds to Non Profit Organizations.

Dr R Ganapati,
Director Emeritus, Bombay Leprosy Project


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Leprosy Appeal Date: Tuesday, 8 January 2008
Well we have a final total for the Christmas Leprosy Appeal and I am completely amazed at the generosity of everyone. We had approximately 300 - 350 people donate money for a total of $4566. That means we raised enough money to heal 10 people from leprosy with a bit over and we averaged approximately $13 per donation.

Thank you again for taking part in this appeal we have done to support the Leprosy Mission and I look forward to next Christmas maybe doing it all again.

Pat Brittenden

Leprosy Patients Relief Fund,
Bombay Leprosy Project

Dear Donor,.
The enclosed excerpts from the appeal by Mr. Pat Brittendon of The Leprosy Mission (TLM) mentions that the cost “to heal one person from leprosy for ever” is US $ 432 This should be compared with the average cost of serving one patient in our experience in Bombay including hospitalization The cost works out to only $ 17..00
Even repeated follow-up for more than five years employing field staff under difficult conditions in urban slums and villages nearby should not cost more than US $ 25.00 per patient. Please note that in our calculation we exclude maintenance and establishment costs and the donors’ money is utilized exclusively for patient care and to meet the expenses towards service-providers.
Most donors want funds to reach the target group of patients directly. Hence our estimate, which is based upon research on cost management under conditions prevailing in Bombay appears to be far more reasonable and cost effective.
This is for your kind information
With thanks and regards,
Dr R Ganapati

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Pat Brittenden
This is an image of a 24 year old man with LeprosyWe live in an age of luxury, an age of 'wants' not 'needs' I am sure you are aware that there are people all over the world that live day-by-day in the polar opposite to how we live. I am asking you to help just one of those people.
According to the World Health Organisation there are currently around 220,000 registered cases if Leprosy in the world, if you include those who have been healed over the years, and those families ostracized by this disease, the estimate of those affected by it is over 3,000,000.
In 2007 it costs $432 to heal one person from Leprosy forever.I am asking you to donate whatever you can to help try to heal one person from this debilitating condition, to free them from it and help to give them their lives back. If you can afford $1, it will only take 432 of us to heal one person, if you can afford $10, it'll be much quicker.In this festive season, a season of giving, a season where we will spend hundreds on ourselves and those around us we love, how about some small change for someone we don't know to give them a new life.
If you are interested in helping the cause please send me a cheque, no cash, no credit card details, just cheques made out to Leprosy Mission of NZ (yes even for $1) to
Pat Brittenden
Newstalk ZB
Private Bag 92-198
Auckland
___________________________________________________________

I am absolutely stunned at the response to the Leprosy Mission appeal, originally we were looking to raise enough money to heal one person, in the space of four days we have nearly enough to help four people.I am humbled and a tad embarrassed that I didn't have the faith in people that has been demonstrated.
You guys rock!
Our current total is $1,683.25, but let's not stop there, let's keep pushing and 'do one more'
Pat Brittenden

Leprosy Patients Relief Fund (LPRF)

Dear Donor,

You will be pleased to know that under this special scheme 730 leprosy patients are receiving services, the cost of offering services to each patient being about Rs 650/- (US $ 17.00/- approx) on an average including hospitalization expenses).

As you are aware, we aim at a target of Rs. 10,00,000/- (US $ 26,200/- approx) in the first phase of LPRF.

I wish to reiterate that:-
1) The sole object of LPRF is to offer exclusively medical and physical care to leprosy patients and
incentives to service- providers and planners including charges towards hospitalization.
2) The institutional maintenance and establishment chargers are not derived from LPRF.
3) Under this campaign there has been a striking impact on the physical condition of patients.

I appeal to all well wishers to donate liberally to this unique fund so that we may be able to serve a very large number of patients who are still not brought under the scheme for want of funds.

Thanking you

Dr R Ganapati
Director Emeritus

PS :-
I. I have already made a personal commitment to donate Rs 1 lakh (nearly US $ 2,600/- approx) to BLP in
installments.
II. So far we have raised funds mostly from individuals in India and abroad and not from so many
institutions. You are free to donate in your individual capacity and sponsor as many patients you may
like.
III. Cheque to be drawn in favor of Bombay Leprosy Project Please specify that your donation is exclusively
towards LPRF

Findings so far
1. Astonishingly large numbers of leprosy patients with disabilities are found in the rural communities and tribal areas near Bombay (over 20 per 10,000).
2. Wherever LPRF campaigns are in progress, social ostracism of leprosy patients and stigma are declining.

• For these who celebrate Christmas, there cannot be a better way of remembering Lord Jesus Christ than donating for the welfare of leprosy patients.
• The compassion which Jesus showed towards the ostracized sufferers has inspired the whole world to serve this noble cause.

I WISH YOU A MERRY CHRISMUS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR

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* The Project is registered under the Societies Registration Act. (1860); Maharashtra State; Reg. No. Bom. 345/1976 GBBSD and under the Bombay Public Trusts Act. 1950 Reg. No. F-4158 (Bom.) & FCRA (1976)
* Donations are exempted from Income-Tax under section 80G (1) of the Income Tax Act, 1961
Cheques / Demand Drafts may be drawn in favour of “BOMBAY LEPROSY PROJECT”
* Donors in USA can claim Tax Exemption under Section 501(C) 3, by routing the donation through
Partners in Sharing Associates, 506 West Country Club Lane, Wallingford, PA 19086 6509 Tel: (610) 627 0504 Email : shashi@gholkars.com / info@gholkars.com