Lepers opt to stay longer at leprosarium<\/p>\n
The last Sunday of January every year is celebrated by the
\nearth community as World Leprosy Day. This year, Indonesia
\ncelebrates the day under the theme of Let's Free Our People from
\nLeprosy through the Multi-Drug Treatment System. The Jakarta Post
\nreporter, K. Basrie, paid a visit last week to patients at the
\n45-year-old Sitanala Leprosarium in Tangerang, West Java. Here
\nare his reports.<\/p>\n
TANGERANG (JP): Most people who have recovered from their
\nillnesses do not want to stay in the hospital any longer than
\nabsolutely necessary. They usually try their best to get away
\nfrom the hospital as soon as they feel better.<\/p>\n
But this is not the case among recovered lepers, says
\nSudarmadji, director of the Sitanala Leprosarium in Tangerang,
\nover 30 kilometers west of here.<\/p>\n
\"A number of recovered lepers are coming back, bringing the
\nnumber of old patients who choose to stay to much higher than the
\nfigure for new patients,\" Sudarmadji said.<\/p>\n
According to Abdurrachman, 51, who has worked at the hospital
\nfor 34 years, the sensitivity of former lepers, their social and
\neducational backgrounds and the public's fear of the disease are
\napparently the reasons for this chronic dilemma.<\/p>\n
\"Most often, when we ask their reasons for refusing to leave
\nthe hospital, they simply say that they're here because of the
\ndisease they suffered,\" Abdurrachman.<\/p>\n
To help resolve the problem, Sudarmadji and Abdurrachman
\nbelieve in educating the public to bring about the understanding
\nthat recovered lepers are no different than anyone else.<\/p>\n
\"The public's fear of the disease has been eliminated somewhat
\nthanks to the massive government campaign. But there are
\napparently still a large number of people, especially those in
\nthe remote villages, that still think that once a person has
\nleprosy, whether they have been cured or not, they have to be
\nkept away from normal people,\" Abdurrachman said.<\/p>\n
So, what do the recovered lepers say?<\/p>\n
\"This place is heaven for us,\" said Agus, in his 30s. He
\nrecovered from the disease two years ago after being treated in
\nthe hospital for seven years.<\/p>\n
Now Agus works for the cleaning service at the hospital for Rp
\n7,500 per month.<\/p>\n
Many more have decided to earn their way at Sitanala hospital
\nfor the rest of their life by working or helping the medical
\nstaff rather than living with their families in the unfriendly
\nand unkind atmosphere outside.<\/p>\n
According to director Sudarmadji, asking these sensitive
\npeople to leave the hospital means creating a big problem.<\/p>\n
\"There have been a series of huge protests here. Particularly
\nbecause the lepers believe that people view them as worthless
\nmembers of the community,\" Abdurrachman added.<\/p>\n
Today, a huge village -- home for hundreds of recovered lepers
\nand their families -- is found on the 54-hectare plot of land the
\nhospital occupies.<\/p>\n
They have occupied almost one-third of the area for many
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Pioneer<\/p>\n
The hospital, founded in 1951, is named after Dr. J.B.
\nSitanala, the pioneer of the Leprosy Control Program in
\nIndonesia.<\/p>\n
In the beginning, it was designed to replace the Lenteng Agung
\nLeprosarium in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
In the 1950s, the hospital was known as the Sewan Hospital. It
\nwas Mrs. Rahmi Hatta, the wife of the late first Indonesian vice
\npresident, who laid the corner stone of the building to mark the
\nbeginning of the hospital's construction.<\/p>\n
The hospital then got a new name, Sitanala Rehabilitation
\nCenter, in 1962. In 1978 the name was revised again to its
\ncurrent one.<\/p>\n
Lady Diana from England is among the important figures who
\nhave spent several hours there during their visits to Indonesia.
\nShe spent time chatting with the lepers.<\/p>\n
\"We were so happy at that time. I will never forget how the
\nbeautiful lady chatted happily with my patients,\" recalled
\nAbdurrachman.<\/p>\n
The hospital currently has 550 beds with an average occupancy
\nrate of around 75 percent.<\/p>\n
According to Sudarmadji, most of its patients come from East
\nand Central Java where leprosy has its highest prevalence in the
\ncentral Indonesian regions.<\/p>\n
Because it is heavily subsidized by the government, the
\nhospital only charges patients Rp 9,000 per month each during the
\nduration of their stays there.<\/p>\n
The medical expenses are set at around Rp 500 per day,
\nexcluding special treatment.<\/p>\n
\"Although we have no extra earnings and only get our monthly
\nsalary for a living, we do love this job, probably because of the
\nvoice of our soul,\" said Abdurrachman, the most senior member of
\nthe staff.<\/p>\n
\"Agus may be right that there is a kind of heaven here,\" he
\nsaid smiling.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lepers-opt-to-stay-longer-at-leprosarium-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}