The number of the suspected cases of leprosy in 8 days has reached 618 in Palamu. It is an official statistics.
A leprosy case detection campaign has been going on in Palamu since July 1. It will conclude on July 14.
The state health department had shortlisted only 14 districts for this 14 day long leprosy case detection campaign and Palamu is one among the 14 districts.
On the very first day of this campaign the health teams detected 67 suspected cases of leprosy, said the district leprosy officer Dr Anil Kumar Srivastav.
Dr Srivastav said these 67 cases detected on the very first day are suspected only. These are to be confirmed by the doctor if and when the suspected leprosy individual visits the doctors and gets himself examined and diagnosed as well.
Dr Srivastav said there is a world of difference between a suspected case and a confirmed case. It has been found that all suspected cases of leprosy do not corroborate to the confirmation of leprosy.
The district leprosy officer said on the 8th day this figure of suspected cases of leprosy has reached 618 in Palamu. These 618 suspected cases of leprosy are the cumulative figure coming down from July 1 to July 8 only.
Dr Srivastav said our teams are working most dedicatedly and the way our teams are detecting suspected cases on the basis of the complaints of the persons leaves no room that there is any hanky panky in the detection.
The detection of suspected cases is serious but final count of leprosy cases will come only when the doctors diagnose it to be a Hensen's disease and for this one will have to wait for it.
Much depends on how the suspected cases are taken up by the persons concerned as they must show up before the hospital and the doctor for a final diagnosis of it as any delay on their part will tell upon their health.