Damien Social Welfare Centre

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Damien Social Welfare Centre

Annual Report 2009

Damien Social Welfare Centre, Dhanbad dedicates this year’s report to all our benefactors, well-wishers and all the people from leprosy background. We are thankful to all the support, understanding and encouragement for all you been to us throughout the year. When we look back the year, we see that today, we are living in a different world: The cases of leprosy are slowly coming down. Before the development of an effective cure, society dealt with the disease by isolating sufferers. In virtually every society, so-called ‘lepers’ were cast out of their families and communities. Leprosy was more than just an infectious disease. Though the face of leprosy has changed dramatically worldwide, yet the leprosy remains a dreaded disease in this part of the world. Our efforts had been to change the image of leprosy and encourage people to seek timely treatment. To remove the stigma associated with deformities, their prevention, correction and eventual rehabilitation into general health services. As a result, we see that hopelessness and despair are giving way to the idea that leprosy can be cured. Tremendous progress has been made, but the battle has not been won completely. Tackling residual problems requires learning from past successes and failures, as well as having a clear understanding of the remaining obstacles.

Our involvement

DSWC has a long tradition for serving people suffering from leprosy. For DSWC involvement in the curing of leprosy and caring for people affected by leprosy has been an extremely rewarding experience. One of the worst consequences of the enduring poverty crisis is that it perpetuates diseases and has a health impact that impairs economic growth and thus keeps alive poverty. It is vicious cycle: People whose limbs are deformed and people who have been blinded by disease will not contribute fully to society and economies. These people are a double burden for society. They cannot work to full capacity, and they require constant care. The costs of care can make them poorer. Stigma and social isolation, especially for women, compound the misery and further push people in poverty.

Nirmala Leprosy Hospital: People come far and wide to get proper treatment from this Hospital. In whole of Dhanbad this is the only hospital taking care of leprosy patients. This year 474 patients were admitted in the hospital from Dhanbad, Giridih, Bokaro, Ranchi, Gumla, Simdega, Koderma, Khunti, Purulia, Bardawan, Jahanabad districts. There were 12892 OPD patients were attended to. 381 received splint. 376 persons received MCR shoes. 413 persons got their MCR repaired and 10 were supplied crutches. 601 persons had smear tests done.2783 patients had blood tests done. 1470 patients had urine test done. 346 patients had stool test done and 6 persons had sputum test done. There were 309 new cases of leprosy reported from Dhanbad, where as 168 new cases of leprosy reported from outside Dhanbad. In our first Hospital called

Baramasia Mercy Post we had admission of 139 leprosy patients this year. Thus DSWC is providing a huge service to the society through its hospital assistance.

Education: DSWC is also educating the children from the leprosy background. At the Nirmala campus, Govindpur it has Nirmala Academy, which was known as Nirmala Girls’ Hostel and School. This year Nirmala Academy started English Medium for two reasons i.e., a) In this first moving world people need to have the knowledge of English. If the person does not know English, he/she has low self image. When it comes to people from leprosy, they already have inferiority complex and when they meet someone speaking English, they still feel depress and so in order to build up their self confidence and make them able to do better in their life English Medium is started. b) it is also started to invite children from the non leprosy background. This will give much more confidence to our children, when they study, play and eat with children from the leprosy background. Thus we have 18 boys and 133 children in the Nirmala Academy. We have 124 girls in the Nirmala Girls Hostel. However, we are also sending our children to our another education unit called De Britto School, Gomoh for the High schooling, where we have 382 boys and 247 girls studying. In the De Britto Hostel, Gomoh we have 150 boys and Nirmala Girls Hostel, Gomoh we have 41 girls. This year we had 100% results in the School Examination Board. 32 children (19 boys and 13 girls) got 1st Division, 31 children (9 boys and 22 girls) got 2nd Division and one girl got 3rdDivision.

Welfare Services: Educating the children does not end with schooling DSWC also tries to mobilize fund for college studies and specialized training for those, whose parents are not able to educate their children. This year 3 youth are doing college studies with the help from DSWC 2 youth are sent for ITI training one to Bankura and one at Dhanbad itself. 10 girls are sent for ANM training. Besides these DSWC also provided relief services for beggars type patients in 21 colonies.

Baramasia Rehabilitation & Training Centre (BRTC): One of the thrust area of DSWC is always been the rehabilitation of people affected by leprosy and now though not completely disable, yet are out of the house having no work. BRTC is work rehabilitation. BRTC provides right to work and right to food to the people from leprosy background. At BRTC we are providing bread and butter to 65 families. These families manufacture bandages, gauzes, Coloured bed sheets. Green Bed Sheet, Blue Bed Sheets, While Bed Sheet, Sarees, Terri cotton blue cloth, Gamcha, Lungi and dusters. Though DSWC is trying its level best, but this centre is running at deficit. However, DSWC is committed to help these people to lead life with dignity.

Thinking in longer term: DSWC realizes if it has to eliminate leprosy from Dhanbad, it needs more hands and so time to time DSWC provides training to different groups. This year DSWC at Nirmal Training Centre imparted training to 85 young people viz. 9 Jesuit Novices from Dumka, 14 Nurses from Central Hospital, 45 Novices from Sitagarah and 17 persons had come for the Exposure tour from Deogarh.

At the closing I would like to express our sincere thanks to all our benefactors, well-wishers and friends, who had been quite generous and kind to us for helping us to take few steps towards our Vision & Mission during the year. We look forward to your continued support and encouragement in coming years too.

Fr. Walter Crasta

Director

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