K-P’s sole leprosy ward closed

Despite having an influx of patients with the disease in the past two years, the only ward in the entire province for leprosy, an infection caused by slow-growing bacteria, has been shut down on account of renovations.

Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), one of the biggest medical institutions in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) capital, Peshawar, has housed the province’s sole leprosy ward since 1982 but currently there is no timeline yet on when it will become operational again. Since treatment in the early stages can prevent disability from leprosy, the ward’s closure is worrying because in the last two years the number of patients with Hansen’s disease, also known as leprosy, has swelled to 30,000, as per numbers obtained from the provincial health department. Furthermore, most of these patients are from K-P’s hilly areas like Dir, Upper Dir, Kohistan, and Chitral, where there is already a dearth of effective medical services.

In this regard, Jawad Khan, an attendant at LRH, whose brother has the disease, said that the ward’s closure seems like a death-sentence for his sibling. “They have tried to accommodate some patients in the tuberculosis (TB) ward of the hospital but that has only added to our worries. Patients with Hansen’s disease are highly sensitive and putting them in close proximity with TB patients is just playing with their lives further,” Khan lamented.

Khan’s apprehensions hold weight as TB bacteria spreads through the air and if leprosy patients breathe in the same air as TB patients they run the risk of contracting TB. On the other hand, if leprosy patients do not seek treatment, they can transmit the disease to others who are in prolonged and close contact with them.

Dr Wasim Marwat, the Focal Person for leprosy at LRH, when asked about the ward’s closure and its effect on patients, said that everything was under control for now. “So far we only have 2 patients of the disease, who have been adjusted in the TB ward,” Dr Marwat informed. When pointed out that with the move leprosy patients now were vulnerable to contracting TB as well, Dr Marwat replied that this was beyond his control. “We have requested the management of the hospital to provide a separate ward until the leprosy ward is closed but the LRH administration is yet to address our concerns,” he said, adding that the lax attitude being shown could result in an upsurge in leprosy patients. “We have to make a serious and dedicated effort to prevent the disease from spreading in the province. Therefore, the K-P government and provincial health department should take notice of the issue,” Dr Marwat suggested while talking to The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 11^th, 2023.