English 
Our presence in Mehendipara – India started in 1990 with the purpose of taking care of those who were sick and suffering around those areas. At the beginning of our sanitary support, we met some leprosy patients who ignored the gravity of their illness and so we felt the urge to do something for them immediately. This need pushed us towards the Government which let us treat the leprosy patients in our general clinics. Meanwhile we were proposed to start an awareness program for the control of leprosy in a village at Gangarampur. We were also asked to open a hospital to treat the leprosy patients.
Sustain the Nirmala Leprosy Center of Mehendipara
The Nirmala Leprosy Center
The Nirmala Leprosy Center started to function in 1995. The Government assigned the monitoring work to an area which is 35 km away from our hospital. The extension of this area is of 2.624 square km and includes a population of 100.000 inhabitants. The area is still a rural place. A large number of immigrants arrive from Bangladesh and they live in an atrocious financial and social conditions. Due to the lack of medical structures nearby they are abandoned to their fate and they are often house-ridden. That’s why we found so many ulcer cases. Therefore, we feel that it is our duty to transmit to these persons hope and new life. We employed two non-medical collaborators to help us to discover the first cases through a door to door survey, check-up in schools and an awareness campaign.
At the end of 2017 we pointed out a high number of new cases also thanks to the support of a part-time doctor and they were 2800 patients.
The Hospital
Beyond the monitoring activities in the center, we have a hospital with 20 beds to admit the leprosy patients. This hospital was opened in 1996. We admit and cure the patients for different leprosy complications, like the cure of ulcer cases. This is the only hospital for three districts. About 200 patients take shelter here. From 1996 to 2017 we admitted and cured 1355 cases.
Other than the physical rehabilitation, we help our cured patients in increasing their life quality and grant them some loans to start some activities.
Description
To carry on the activities about the awareness program and treatment of the patients, we are supported by a lay staff:
| Description | Value in rupies (Rs) | VAlue in Euro (€) |
| Medical salary part – time | Rs 95,000.00 | € 1.300,00 |
| Medical operators salary | Rs 2,00,000.00 | € 2.700,00 |
| Non- medical operators salary | Rs 1,58,000.00 | € 2.100,00 |
| Food expenses | Rs 1,55,000.00 | € 2.000,00 |
| Electricity expenses | Rs 15,000.00 | € 200,00 |
| Administrative expenses | Rs 35,000.00 | € 500,00 |
| Ambulance service | Rs 60,000.00 | € 800,00 |
| Medical expenses | Rs 82,000.00 | € 1.100,00 |
The total amount needed to cover the project 10.700,00 euro
