March 16 was a day of rejoicing for hundreds of patients who visit TLM Chandkhuri Hospital in Chhattisgarh every day.
The hospital is situated 1 ½ km away from the bus stand on the newly opened National Highway 130 and the patients had to walk all the way to the hospital, as there was no other means of transport. Trekking on the dirt track was so cumbersome – especially for people affected by leprosy with disabilities – that many patients stopped visiting the hospital altogether.
Imagine sitting at home without a job despite being a graduate, shunned by neighbours and friends, and with no confidence to carry on with life – all because you have a physical disability.
26-year-old Mamta Gulabrao Kubade had no hope in life. She had met with an accident when she was eight years old, and that left her leg burnt. It resulted in deformity in her lower limb. Despite her disability, she completed her graduation. Job opportunities were rare and she had no confidence to seek out one. Confined to her home in Kothara village of Maharashtra, her days were dreary and nights insomnious. Her self-esteem plummeted to a new low every day.
Barely one, little Abha’s eyes light up when she looks at her mother. All she sees is pure love and joy. She is oblivious to the marks etched on her mother’s face-a cue to the painful journey she had gone through. Usha Mathur, 30, underwent a traumatic experience after she was diagnosed with leprosy in 2001.
If there is ever a story about dreams coming true, it is the story of Vinod Matho. Even when the odds were stacked against him, he found a way to overcome them and build his future.
Children are fast learners – and around 35 children from the colony where people affected by leprosy live in Chandkhuri (near TLM Chandkhuri Hospital) in Chhattisgarh and the nearby village learnt a lot on World Environment Day (June 5).
