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제목 |
Prospect of Leprosy Control in Korea |
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저자 |
Choi, S. R. |
소속 |
Chronic Disease Laboratory, Catholic Medical College, Seoul, Korea |
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년도 |
1972 |
권 |
8 |
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호 |
1 |
번호 |
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시작페이지 |
91 |
끝페이지 |
96 |
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첨부 |
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요약 |
The number of leprosy patients in Korea is estimated at about 80,000. It was found at
the end of 1969 that 38,577 cases, about half of the estimated fixture, were treated under
registrastion. The breakdown wish respect to the type of treatment they received is as
the following:
National Leprosy Centre‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥5,494
Private Cripple Institutes‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥1,901
Settlements‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥16,770
Home Patients‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥‥14,412
Tgtal : 38,577
The number of registered cases increased to 786 in 1966, 2,403 in 1967, 3,111 in 1968
and then decreased to 1,673 at the end of 1969. This decline was attributed to the fact
that the activities of leprosy mobile clinics fell into slump since their operation was
handed over to the 18ca1 government from the central.
In the meantime, bacteriological examination proved 714 cases positive (13%) among
5,494 inmates at the National Leprosy Centre and 2,158 cases positive(15%) among
14,412 home patients, the rate for the latter being slightly higher than that for the
former.
The government has recently set up a major leprosy control programme. This
programme has led, on the one hand, to the closure of four leprosy hospitals out of five
in this country for settlement projects: two were closed at the end of 1969 and two
more at the end of 1970. On the other hand, it effected the enlargement of the structure
of the last one, the Sorokdo Hospital, upgrading in to the National Leprosy Centre.
Under this policy, it is expected that those registered cases or those who reveal lepra
reaction, trophic ulcer, eye complication, etc. have to be sent to the National Leprosy
Centre for commitment. However, it is a question whether the institute can afford the
best medical facilities for the patients, for it not only is located on an islet too remote
from the mainland, devoid of easy means of transportation, but also still is short of
sufficient medical facilities.
Therefore, it is pressing for on effective leprosy control that the institute should be
equipped with both treatment and research facilities so that doctors can work at their
best and with their full-heartedness. At the same time, it must be emphasized that
facilities for vocational training should be established for the patients and that rapid
discharge of negative cases should be expedited.
There are four cripple institutes operated by missionaries as government subsidiary
organizations. Some of the inmates who have deformities can be cured by orthopedic or
plastic surgery As two of the institutes have no doctors at all and the number of
crippled patients is expected to increase it must be stressed that they should be
equipped with reinforced medical facilities.
For the purpose of finding positive cases among home patients, which is one of the
important activities in leprosy control, a mobile clinic was first organized with the aid of
American-Korean. Foundation in 1956. Since then many other .mobiler clinics have been
put into operation : nine with the aids of VHO-UNICEF, German Leprosy Relief
Association, Order of Malta, and three by Catholic Leprosy Service, Leprosy Mission
and Wilson Leprosy Centre respectively. The mobile clinics and 99 paramedical workers
of the health centre are now working hand in hand for case-finding and treatment.
However, the leprosy control activities at present have become Nearly paralysed as
most of the medical staff members have left their posts since operation of the leprosy
control projects was turned over to the hand of the local government from the central.
It is to be emphasized that special consideration should be made by the government
with regard to the activity of case finding, follow-up and treatment of leprosy which is
very important in the leprosy control.
Social rehabilitation of cured patients has been carried out since the resettlement and
settlement projects were first set up in 1961 on the basis of farming and breeding.
At present, this country has 83 resettlement and settlement villages. At the beginning
of the projects, they had 13,347 inhabitants and then the number increased to 16,770.
The total number has now amounted to 21,581 as relatives of the cured patients came
to join them.
According to a recent report of the Korean Leprosy Association, 71 of the 83 villages
lead a miserable, poverty-stricken existence while only 12 villages can afford to
maintain their livelihood for themselves.
The reasons are:
1. The lands they settled down on are too desolate and limited and the social
allowances for their livelihood are too small in amount.
2. The settlement inhabitants are without special vocational training and too
dependent.
3. Vocational education and guidance (and probation) for the settlements are absent.
4. The oppression and indifference on the part of the public toward the inhabitants are
prevalent because of the deep rooted prejudice against leprosy and fear of it among
the public.
Therefore, health education for the public and supplementary aid and guidance for the
settlements must be carried out.
The principle of leprosy campaign for the eradication of the disease covers three
phases.
1. Attack phase.
This is a Phase of case-finding and treatment. Case finding must be carried out by
mass examination, house-to-house visits, contact tracing or examination of selected
groups of poputation.
2. Consolidation phase.
The most important part of this phase is case-holding, as leprosy is a chronic disease
arid the patients have to be treated for years.
3. Integration phase.
This phase enters whoa health centres have been well established which are to take
over responsibility for the treatment of all leprosy cases. This phase also covers a
survey of the leprosy situation.
In addition, health education on leprosy should be performed for doctors and health
personnel also.
It took 60 years for Japan to reduce 30,393 cases registered in 1904 to 10,202 case in
1968.
In contrast to japan, the problem of leprosy control has become one of the most
serious sociomedical problems that Korea has to cope with. Therefore, it cannot be too
much stressed that there should be deep understanding and cooperation of the pubic
toward the leprosy control problem and the establishment of a better and consistant
leprosy control programme of the government |
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내용 |
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