Healthcare:

[ Anandwan Hospital ]

Established in 1951, the Anandwan Hospital now comprises 10 blocks, 2 dressing rooms, 2 patient wards, 2 dispensaries, 2 dining halls, and an office. Today nearly 650 patients are treated here on an annual basis. Over the last 50 years, nearly 35,000 leprosy patients have been treated or cured at this hospital. The warm, peaceful, green ambience of the hospital makes it feel less like a hospital and its cleanliness is exemplary. The utmost care is taken to clear paths of sharp objects such as stones and thorns, which could injure the patients, who would not even realize they have been hurt due to nerve damage caused by leprosy.

Leprosy is a chronic myco-bacterial disease, primarily affecting the peripheral nervous system and secondarily involving the skin and certain other tissues. There is a wide variation in the way the disease affects people, which depends primarily on differences in the immune system. In some cases, the disease involves only one peripheral nerve or causes a single skin blemish. In others, it produces countless nodules and other types of skin lesions, involves many peripheral nerves and leads to damage to vital organs such as eyes, larynx, testes, and bones. The deformities caused by leprosy include depressed nose, paralysis of eyelids, wrinkling of the skin of the face, disfigurement of earlobes, claw hands and feet. These deformities are one of the main reasons for the prejudice leprosy patients suffer from. It is for this reason that apart from multi-drug therapy, attention has also been paid to providing special devices for protection and rehabilitation of limbs and organs.

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[ The Prejudice and Discrimination Against People with Leprosy ]

Rural areas in India abound with prejudices and superstitions regarding individuals afflicted by leprosy. The conventional wisdom is that leprosy is the result of sin of ones past births. As a result of this lack of knowledge, there is widespread rejection of such persons.

Leprosy patients where special footwear (shown in photo to the right) that does not use any nails or other objects, which may hurt the feet. The most remarkable thing about Anandwan is that these devices are designed and produced by the cured patients themselves.

Because of the social stigma attached to this malady, many opportunities and even basic rights like right to travel, education, property, employment, and insurance, remained totally inaccessible. But with little widespread education during these years in the sub-continent to counter these socially destructive beliefs, an entire group of people are social outcasts. That, for no fault of their own. It is also said about them:

"They are dead to the world but alive in the kingdom of God" and stay in indigenous lepra colonies, ghettoes, public places, around temples etc. in a "world within a world, but a world without a world" (Graham Green).

Maharogi Sewa Samiti currently takes care of approximately 2,095 individuals who have been treated for leprosy or are still undergoing some form of treatment and rehabilitation. Depending on how far the disease has progressed, Multi- Drug Treatment can take between 6 months up to 2 years to completely cure the patient. The majority of the post leprosy treatment consists of operations and therapy to minimize the disabilities (orthopedic/ visual) that result from the disease. If necessary, orthopedic aids (braces, artificial leg, tricycle etc) are provided to enhance the quality of life of the patients. The other major part of the post leprosy treatment is the prevention and treatment of the deformities that often occur with cured leprosy patients due to insensitivity of the limbs (nerve damage) and skin.

Dr. Pole supervises the hospital and the treatment of the patients. He is assisted by rehabilitated patients, or patients who offer help to the other patients. These assistants are always in the hospital and the needy patients can therefore always count on help. This approach, where there is always someone to take care, is called the "mother's approach."

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[ Shirdi Sai Baba Hospital ]

The General hospital in Anandwan, the Shri Shirdi Saibaba Hospital provides free medical service for the different inhabitants of Anandwan: the blind, deaf, orphans, senior citizens, Yuvagram trainees (rural school drop-outs) and other needy people from the surrounding villages (annually approximately 10,000 patient visits). Dr. Bharati Amte manages this hospital.

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