Indonesia Leprosy villages get help
1
Indonesia's leprosy villages get help fanlce Tai For The Sunday Times ln Jakarta Ten years ago, Mr Adi Yosep was diag- nosed with leprosy, a. disease which at- tacks the skin and nerves. He was still studying at. university when white bumps appeared all over his body. "It was a dark period in my life, and some friends kept their distance," said Mr Adi, now 32. To earn money to pay for the antibiot- ics he had to take, he worked as a labora- tory assistant on campus after class. A year later, he was cured. All that is left of his brush with the disease - which can lead to loss of sensation and paralysis in the long run - are a few white patches on his skin and the occasional pain in his joints. But the experience - and the memory of the pain it brought - inspired Mr Adi to start two organisations for leprosy suf- ferers to help them cope with the disease. According to the World Health Organ- isation, 21.,538 Indonesians were suffer- ing ftom the disease last year, putting In- donesia just behind India and Brazil in the number of sufferers worldwide. Over the past decade, Indonesia has seen more than 15,000 new cases surfac- ing each year, but the maiority recover fully on receiving prompt Ueatment. Last year, however, the numbers were a, little higher - 1,7,260 cases - of which around 10 per cent were patients below the age of 15. Indonesia's geography makes it diffi- cult to control the spread of the disease. "It is hard to transport medical sup- ostracised, they prefer to live with other leprosy sufferers, he explained. From afar, Sitanala village re- sembles an ordinary kampung like any other. But a makeshift fence of steel and wood sepa- rates it from the next kam- pung. Sitanala residents say it was built by villagers from the neighbouring kampung as they were afraid of being infect- ed. Indeed, Sitanala is a self-con- tained village, with its own gro- cery shopsand food stalls lin- ing the dirty streets. Some resi- dents grow their own crops and rear animals; while others work as seamstresses, selling clothing to neighbours. Along the lanes behind the rows of semi-detached, sin- gle-storey houses, villagers can be seen ftyrng keropok (crack- ers) or assembling artificial plas- tic limbs that they sell within the community. According to pastor Ruben Hatumena, who is from the on- ly church in the village, about 60 per cent ofits 885 residents do not have proper jobs. The 55-year-old himself had leprosy but has since been cured. Singaporean volunteer Ong Siong Kai talk to a leprosy sufferer at Sitanala Leprosy Hospital. plies and channel help to people living in remote areas and the mountains," said Dr Iwan Muliono, director of the Health Ministry's leprosy control programme. In the past, the government would quarantine people affected by leprosy in colonies or settlements. While the prac- tice ended a decade ago, today there are still 45 colonies, in Sumatra and Java, where former sufferers still live. Sitanala village, the largest colony in Indonesia in the satellite city of Tan- gerang, just outside Jakarta, is home to around 1,000 leprosy sufferers and their families. The colonies, said Dr lwan, are mostly filled with older people who could not b-e cured back then because treatment was not available. Severely disabled by the disease and Singaporeanvolunteer Ong Siong Kai, r 66, has been helping out in Sitanala for I the past two years, preaching at the local church and donating to the villagers. I "The widows and single women are es- ' pecially pitiable, since they can't do hard I labour. jobs, yet have no partner to help I them," he said. Activists and doctors believe that with Indonesia's health care improving and medicines being more readily available, most leprosy sufferers can continue liv- I ing at home with their families. I \on-governmental groups like the I one started by Mr Adi are also on hand to ' help, providing leprosy sufferers with the funds and know-how to set up small ' chicken-rearing sheds behind their homes, for example, or teaching them how to care for their wounds. Said Pastor Ruben: 'llt wasn't easy at u all, yet they managed to bring up darigh-; ters who have since graduated from medi- ! cal school and are now about to become doctors. I watched them do this right here."
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Currently, the Rotary club is giving jobs to the lepers, and they are also working on a sandals project
Transcript of Indonesia Leprosy villages get help
Indonesia'sleprosyvillagesget helpfanlce TaiFor The Sunday Timesln Jakarta
Ten years ago, Mr Adi Yosep was diag-nosed with leprosy, a. disease which at-tacks the skin and nerves. He was stillstudying at. university when whitebumps appeared all over his body.
"It was a dark period in my life, andsome friends kept their distance," saidMr Adi, now 32.
To earn money to pay for the antibiot-ics he had to take, he worked as a labora-tory assistant on campus after class.
A year later, he was cured. All that isleft of his brush with the disease - whichcan lead to loss of sensation and paralysisin the long run - are a few white patcheson his skin and the occasional pain in hisjoints.
But the experience - and the memoryof the pain it brought - inspired Mr Adito start two organisations for leprosy suf-ferers to help them cope with the disease.
According to the World Health Organ-isation, 21.,538 Indonesians were suffer-ing ftom the disease last year, putting In-donesia just behind India and Brazil inthe number of sufferers worldwide.
Over the past decade, Indonesia hasseen more than 15,000 new cases surfac-ing each year, but the maiority recoverfully on receiving prompt Ueatment.
Last year, however, the numbers werea, little higher - 1,7,260 cases - of whicharound 10 per cent were patients belowthe age of 15.
Indonesia's geography makes it diffi-cult to control the spread of the disease.
"It is hard to transport medical sup-
ostracised, they prefer to livewith other leprosy sufferers, heexplained.
From afar, Sitanala village re-sembles an ordinary kampunglike any other. But a makeshiftfence of steel and wood sepa-rates it from the next kam-pung. Sitanala residents say itwas built by villagers from theneighbouring kampung asthey were afraid of being infect-ed.
Indeed, Sitanala is a self-con-tained village, with its own gro-cery shopsand food stalls lin-ing the dirty streets. Some resi-dents grow their own cropsand rear animals; while otherswork as seamstresses, sellingclothing to neighbours.
Along the lanes behind therows of semi-detached, sin-gle-storey houses, villagers canbe seen ftyrng keropok (crack-ers) or assembling artificial plas-tic limbs that they sell withinthe community.
According to pastor RubenHatumena, who is from the on-ly church in the village, about60 per cent ofits 885 residentsdo not have proper jobs.
The 55-year-old himself hadleprosy but has since beencured.
Singaporean volunteer Ong Siong Kai talk to aleprosy sufferer at Sitanala Leprosy Hospital.
plies and channel help to people livingin remote areas and the mountains," saidDr Iwan Muliono, director of the HealthMinistry's leprosy control programme.
In the past, the government wouldquarantine people affected by leprosy incolonies or settlements. While the prac-tice ended a decade ago, today there arestill 45 colonies, in Sumatra and Java,where former sufferers still live.
Sitanala village, the largest colony inIndonesia in the satellite city of Tan-gerang, just outside Jakarta, is home toaround 1,000 leprosy sufferers and theirfamilies.
The colonies, said Dr lwan, are mostlyfilled with older people who could not b-e
cured back then because treatment wasnot available.
Severely disabled by the disease and
Singaporeanvolunteer Ong Siong Kai, r
66, has been helping out in Sitanala for I
the past two years, preaching at the localchurch and donating to the villagers. I
"The widows and single women are es- '
pecially pitiable, since they can't do hard Ilabour. jobs, yet have no partner to help Ithem," he said.
Activists and doctors believe that withIndonesia's health care improving andmedicines being more readily available,most leprosy sufferers can continue liv- Iing at home with their families. I
\on-governmental groups like the Ione started by Mr Adi are also on hand to 'help, providing leprosy sufferers with thefunds and know-how to set up small '
chicken-rearing sheds behind theirhomes, for example, or teaching themhow to care for their wounds.
Said Pastor Ruben: 'llt wasn't easy at u
all, yet they managed to bring up darigh-;ters who have since graduated from medi- !cal school and are now about to becomedoctors. I watched them do this righthere."
