Village in Central Highlands cures leprosy
Ha Noi, March 19 (VNA) -- Dac Kia - a major treatment centre for leprosy in Viet Nam's Central Highlands - has helped many sufferers from the disease to a new life.
It not only cures its patients but also helps the 111 families in its surrounds undertake economic activities to improve their living conditions.
It was a difficult task because all the villagers were poorly-educated minority people with 124 of 190 disabled.
In the programme, 160 locals are each provided with VND 75,000, about USD 5, and 10 kg of State-subsidised rice a month.
The concerted effort has brought great change to Dac Kia, which is located near Ia Chim commune in Kon Tum town. All the households have cows, one-third have TV sets and 12 have saved enough to buy motor-bikes.
"Families obtaining higher earnings are on the rise and none of the households suffer food-shortage," says A Lai of the Bahnar minority group.
He says that previously his family was poor as both himself and his wife were stricken with leprosy. But the Government's policy of providing soft loans to farmers for development of a household economy has enabled his family to earn between VND 25 million and VND 30,000 million a year.
The Director of Gia Lai-Kon Tum provinces' Leprosy Treatment and Prevention Centre Le Viet Thuat says the province is facing many difficulties in eliminating the disease because it lacks specialised medical facilities. The situation is exacerbated by people still having negative attitudes towards sufferers of the disease - many of whom are unwillingly to undergo treatment. He adds that the province expects to eliminate leprosy by 2002 as well as help the already-cured patients join the local community.--VNA
