Click to play videoNew Delhi: The Satya Jivan Leprosy Colony in Lajpat Nagar is an area of outcasts, crossed out of society. Seventy families, over 200 lepers live here and they all get one common reaction from society — hatred.
A leprosy patient, Monappa says, "All we have seen is hatred for us. I had to leave my family and come here."
Patients in this colony are mostly migrants from Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, forced to leave their homes and loved ones. Much of their treatment and medicines come from a philantrophic organisation in Japan. Any other aid from people here is irregular and simply inadequate.
A caretaker at the leprosy colony, Sidappa says, "Occasional help comes from people here, but it does not come on a regular basis."
And this is not the only leper colony in India. As per the Indian Leprosy Aassociation, India has over 4 lakh cases of leprosy. Two lakh new cases were recorded in 2006-07.
Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Orissa account for over 60 per cent of the total cases and they all are still trying to catch hold of the right treatment.
And the correct treatment is not the only problem that plagues these patients.
Leprosy patient Hiranna says, "Hospitals ask for a lot of money. How can we afford medicines?"
But leprosy is curable. A dermatologist at Apollo Hospital, Dr Joshi says the disease can be fully cured, as long as the patient comes in time for treatment.
Recently, Delhi's Health Ministry has promised cash incentives starting April to public volunteers helping leprosy patients. Until things improve, these ostracized people can only wait.
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