Kochi: Anti-leprosy campaign in district from Dec 5

Kochi: The mission to wipe out leprosy and related illness, Aswamedham campaign, will start in the district on December 5, said Ernakulam collector K Mohammed Y Safirulla.

Painless ulcers, muscle weakness, pale skin and numbness in the skin are some of the symptoms of leprosy. During the 14-day campaign, volunteers will make the public aware about these symptoms and facilitate patients to get treatment.

The campaign will cover 19 health blocks, 15 urban public health centres and 10 taluk, district and general hospitals across the district. The volunteers will visit 6,83,592 houses in rural and 1,65,959 houses in urban areas of the district. A two-member team of volunteers will visit each house to find out those who have symptoms of leprosy and encourage them to go to hospital. Each supervisor will coordinate five two-member teams.

The campaign will be held with the support of local bodies, health, fisheries, women and child protection and labour department officials. Besides, special squads will also be constituted to visit the camps of migrant workers, tribal hamlets and street people. The district medical office needs the service of 5,000 volunteers to be part of the campaign. Besides Ernakulam, Aswamedham is held in Kasargod, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kannur and Kozhikode districts.