Chandpur Civil Surgeon instructs UH&FPO, MODC, TLCA to work closely with TLMIB & YWCA
Chandpur Correspondent:
Activities toward zero leprosy in Chandpur district has started formally at the field level in full swing after a meeting presided over by Chandpur Civil Surgeon Dr Md Sakhawat Ullah at his office on Tuesday.
Civil Surgeon Dr Md Sakhawat Ullah directed all the Upazila Health & Family Planning Officers (UH&FPO), Medical Officers Disease Control (MODC), TB & Leprosy Control Assistants (TLCA) in the meeting organized by CS Office on Tuesday.
The Leprosy Mission International Bangladesh has started the leprosy activities through a local partner Chandpur Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) under the project titled “L 360°: Learning for Change and Resilience Project”.
Civil Surgeon Dr Md Sakhawat Ullah instructed all the UH&FPOs, MODCs and TLCAs in his district to start working to detect leprosy cases and provide service. CS also urged them to provide necessary assistance to YWCA staff to boost up the activities.
“As early we detect a leprosy patient, he/she is saved from having deformity,” CS said adding that “We’ll surely free Chandpur District from leprosy by 2030 as national target.”
CS Dr Md Sakhawat Ullah warmly welcomed YWCA and TLMIB to work in coordination with his office and pledged to provide all kinds of supports regarding leprosy.
Attending the event, Dr Adnan Russel, Deputy Programme Manager, National Leprosy Programme (NLP), said “NLP will provide all kinds of supports to Chandpur health authorities like timely MDT supply and other necessary things regarding leprosy.”
Dr Benjamin Jewel Rozario, Medical Officer, TLMIB, displayed a powerpoint presentation featuring the current leprosy situation in Chandpur in the meeting.
Quoting data from the National Leprosy Programme (NLP), Dr Benjamin, said: “A total of 46 leprosy patients from Chandpur district received leprosy services and medication from Mohakhali Leprosy Hospital in between 2016 and 2020.”
However, only nine patients were registered in Chandpur district since 2009, Dr Jewel said adding that people went to Dhaka for treatment instead of taking services from the district level. 
TLMIB will work closely in the field level with the local partner YWCA, said Jiptha Boiragee urging the UH&FPO, MODC and TLCA to provide support YWCA regarding leprosy activities to reduce pressure on Mohakhali Leprosy Hospital.
Meanwhile, Upazila-level health authorities pledged to work against leprosy, leprosy-stigma, and leprosy-related discrimination in their respective upazilas at the meeting jointly with YWCA.
UH&FPO Dr Md Nasir Uddin, Dr Ashraf Ahmed Chowdhury, Dr Md Golam Kawser, Dr SM Soab Ahmed Chowdhury, Dr Mohammad Belayet Hossain, Dr Sayeda Begum, Dr Nusrat Zahan from different upazilas in Chandpur district were present at the meeting.
Besides, MODC Dr Joynab Banu, Dr Jahanara Aktar, Dr Md Borhan Uddin, Dr Tanzid Hussain, Dr Subrata Saha, Dr Arafatul Islam, Dr Abdullah Anwar, and Dr Md Jabed Iqbal Riyadh were also present.
Papri Barmon, General Secretary, & Khuki Chowdhury, Vice President from Chandpur YWCA, Jiptha Boiragee, Programme Support Coordinator, (TLMI-B), Project Manager Masuma Parvin, Medical Officer Dr Benjamin Jewel Rozario, Project Officer Roton Malo, and YWCA’s field-level leprosy staff Tapan Chowdhury among others were also present.
