Damien Social Welfare Centre

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Damien Social Welfare Centre

Annual Report 2012

It is my pleasure to share with you about some of the activities, which were under taken by DSWC over last 12 months towards an effort to transform the lives of the people affected by leprosy.

We are deeply grateful for the generosity and commitment of our donors and well wishers, whose understanding and kindness helped us to provide essential services and support to thousands of leprosy-affected individuals, their families and their communities over the last 12 months. Following few lines will depict the picture of DSWC in year 2012.

Welcoming and farewell: We are THANKFUL to Fr. Jilson, who offered his service as Deputy Director of DSWC for six months and worked tirelessly for the growth of the school. May God bless him for his studies. We are also THANKFUL to Sr. Roslit, the Administrator, Sr. Helen, the Pharmacist and Sr. Gracemy, the Headmistress. All of them put their hard work to bring the smile on the faces of the people from the leprosy background. May God bless them in all that they undertake to serve the humanity.

We are very happy to WELCOME Fr. James Surin, the Deputy Director, Sr. Vandana, the Headmistress and Sr. Renie, the Pharmacist to DSWC family. We wish them well.

Care, treatment, surgical correction and deformity prevention: Let me begin with the health assistance to the leprosy patients. You will agree with me that the scenario of Leprosy is changing all over the world especially in this part of India. Therefore we need to put in place many changes in our Nirmala Leprosy Hospital as well, to provide medical relief to the urban and the rural poor. Efforts have been made to provide better service to the patients in the Hospital. One of such efforts is to activate Eye Unit of Nirmala Leprosy Hospital. DSWC is thankful to St. Francis Leprosy Guild, UK, who supported us to start Eye OPD and Eye Operation unit. We are also thankful to Dr Bijay Dubey and Dr Ojha, who got associated with Nirmala Hospital and are conducting Eye OPD and Operation. This year a team of Doctors from Brahamanad Narayan Hirdyala, Jamshedpur helped us to conduct a free heart camp at Nirmala Hospital. 120 poor patients benefited from this camp.

This year 518 patients were admitted in the hospital from Dhanbad, Bokoaro, Giridih, Koderma, Jamtara, Ranchi, Gumla, Khunti, Simdega, Purulia, Bankuda, and Bardwan districts. 2370 OPD patients were attended to. 332 suspected new cases from Dhanbad and 195 suspected new cases were diagnosed from Bokaro alone. 11 received splint. 273 patients received MCR shoes. 254 patients got their MCR repaired and 10 were supplied clutches. 715 patients had smear tests done. 2578 patients had their blood test done. 1478 patients had urine test done. 271 patients had stool test done and 17 persons had sputum test done. 1701 patients had physio done.

As, in spite of self reporting, we have still new patients coming into hospital on every OPD, DSWC planned to take up survey so that we can exactly know whether DSWC is able to take care of most of the leprosy patients of Dhanbad and Bokaro. Therefore, this year DSWC conducted school survey of 27 Government schools of Dhanbad district. Survey was conducted on 9326 children, where 4632 were boys and 4694 were girls. 13 Paucibacillary (PB)[1] and 1 Multibacillary (MB)[2] cases were detected. We are still continuing with the school survey. In the meanwhile DSWC also would like to go ahead with rapid survey of those blocks of Dhanbad districts from where we get patients regularly.

Rehabilitation: After providing health assistance, it is our duty that we should see that these patients and rehabilitated. You know rehabilitation is a humanitarian effort that restores human dignity as a fundamental right. It restores awareness and initiative so that in the end patients can help themselves and exercise their right to live as full members of their community. Rehabilitation is a recovery process or the freedom to reclaim one’s functions adapted to their condition and to prepare the physically, socially and mentally disabled to work and live full lives according to their abilities.

Social rehabilitation: We begin with Social Rehabilitation. All of us will agree that education is a must for any short of development and so DSWC focuses on the education of the children of leprosy patients and give them opportunity to study at Nirmala School. Through out the year our efforts have been not only to teach these children reading and writing, but also to teach them to express themselves properly. DSWC also puts effort to develop their self confidence. This year number in the school has increased from 166 to 278 children, where as in the hostel there were 115 girl children, but it has increased to 176 girls. This year our children stood third in the District level CBSC Basket Ball tournament. Mind you, this is for the first time these children ever participated in any basketball tournament. Their achievement does not end here. These children participated in the interschool Quiz Competition, where 25 schools participated. These children bagged first four positions in the quiz competition. It is hard work of our teachers as well as the children congratulation to them.

This year DSWC has sent four youth for job oriented training i.e., two girls for General Nursing Midwifery and Auxiliary Nursing Midwifery successively, one girl for secretariat course and one boy for Hotel Management. DSWC feels that these youth will be taking care of their family after the training.

Economic Rehabilitation: In a step towards rehabilitating our leprosy patients DSWC has been offering option to these patients in our Baramasia Rehabilitation and training (BRTC). This year we are able to rehabilitate 85 families. Towards the end of the year we were also successful in introducing silk cloth production. It is in an infant stage at silk cloth production, but DSWC feels it will not only create job opportunities to those staying in BRTC, but it will also create opportunities for self employment to our SHG members in the colonies. We are THANKFUL to Dka, Austria and MISSIO, Germany, who are supporting us for forming our colony women into SHGs.

With the support of Dka, Austria and MISSIO, Germany, DSWC has also been able to impart training on tailoring to colony girls. We hope these efforts will bear fruits and our people will live with self dignity.

Home for the Disabled: Even after rehabilitating there are still few leprosy patients, who cannot be rehabilitated, as they have become so much disable due to leprosy that they are no more able to do anything productive for any family and that is why many times they find themselves out side of their families. DSWC has still place for such people, which is called VIP (a home for the disabled). At present there are 58 disabled people spending evening of their life. DSWC is trying to make the last stage of their life peaceful. Sr. Donamaria together with two staff are serving these people day and night.

Across the Boarder: At the end we would like to pay tribute to three of old pillars of DSWC viz. Fr. John F Guidera SJ, Fr. Gulbert Furtado and Fr. Michael raj. Unfortunately, this year we lost all three of them. All three of them had put hard work to build and guide DSWC to a new horizon. Fr. Guidera came to the organization, when organization was not doing well. His coming to the organization meant new enthusiasm. He gave more importance to the future generation. He wrote many letters to his relatives, friends and well wishers of DSWC to support the cause of DSWC. Fr. Gulbert and Fr. Michael came almost at the same time and worked alongside. It was the time when DSWC was undergoing a transition period. They worked to instill self dignity in the people from the leprosy background. People, with little resistance, started paying for health care and education. Sadly we lost them one after the other. We pay our homage to them. May their soul rest in peace.

Finally I would like to all our donors, benefactors, well-wishers and friends, who stood by us, in this time of struggle and difficulties. I would like especially mention the names of St. Francis Leprosy Guild, UK, Dka, Austria, MISSIO, Germany, Rokko Gakuin High School, Japan, Our Lady of St. George c/o Third world in Need, England, Somedi Nettetal, Association for the Advance, Germany and Poona Catholic Educational Assn.Ltd. for their generous contribution towards the cause of leprosy. There are many individuals like Gabi & Pamela, Mr & Mrs. Hubero, Mr. BD Laroia and many others who have much concern for these people. Besides these Jesuit Society, Jamshedpur is always support DSWC. Thanks to all of them

Our THANKS goes to our hardworking and committed staff in the field and at the centre. The organization has high appreciation for your dedicated service to this community.

At last but not the least THANKS to our Board Members, whose significant contribution through various ways cannot be measured. You are valuable to this organization, please continue to support us.

Finally we THANK God for HIS abundant blessings and His presence in all our work. We also prayerfully entrust DSWC in His protective hand for his protection, guidance and blessings.

Fr. Bipin Pani

Director

[1] Pucibacillary =Paucibacillary Hansen disease begins in the peripheral nerves and spreads to the skin, causing patches of skin to become numb and hypo pigmented, which means that the skin has lost its coloring and appears white.

[2] Multibacillary = It is a more severe form of Leprosy. It also causes skin lesions, or patches of damaged tissue; nodules, or lumps; and thickening of the skin.

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