Leprosy patients face financial crunch

Families say Zakat department not released funds for past six months

RAWALPINDI:

At least 48 families, whose members are suffering from leprosy, are facing severe financial problems and even starvation for the last six months due to the cessation of the government's financial assistance.

A total of 110 members of these families are suffering from leprosy. Since it is a serious and contagious disease, the patients cannot even beg for alms, as there is a ban in place on their begging. Moreover, no one even goes near them due to severe illness. These patients are currently admitted at the Rawalpindi Leprosy Hospital, where they receive free treatment.

Patients suffering from leprosy cannot do any job and therefore cannot earn a living. Because of the seriousness of the illness, they are kept isolated. Unfortunately, these patients include highly educated citizens, including graduates and post-graduates. Among them, the number of female patients is 79.

These women cannot cook at home due to leprosy and the doors of marriage are closed for them as well. Six women who contracted the disease after marriage were divorced, while others, ranging from 30 to 50 in age, were never approached for marriage.

The Punjab government provides a total of Rs600,000 quarterly financial assistance to these families under the management of Zakat department. This financial assistance is also too little for each leprosy patient and is spent by the patient in 10 to 15 days, after which these patients suffer from starvation.

Thanks to the philanthropists of Rawalpindi who provide financial help to these patients in the leprosy hospital without even meeting them. The hospital administration equally distributes the incoming fund among them.

When contacted, the Rawalpindi Zakat Department confirmed to The Express Tribune that due to non-receipt of the funds from the government for the last six months, financial assistance could not be provided to these patients. The department can pay them only when government funds are available. Persons suffering from leprosy are registered with the Zakat department and the department sends them money through EasyPaisa on mobile, he said, and assured that they will be paid when the funds are released next month.

Faizan Mehmood, a member of the family suffering from the leprosy disease, talking to The Express Tribune said that everyone looks down on such patients whereas, giving alms is a far cry. The financial assistance given by the government is very little, therefore, the government should pay Rs25,000 as minimum wage per month to every leprosy patient. The number of such patients is 2,000 to 3,000 across Punjab. This financial aid is not much, nor does it cost a lot of budget.

Shaukat Raja, another affected family member, said that the government should pay each patient on a monthly basis instead of quarterly basis. Also, the financial support of Rs15,000 on a quarterly basis is unjust and not helpful at all. The government must act now to improve their lives.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2022.