The Ministry of Health has decided not to conduct Leprosy tests in connection with schools in the future.
Director of the Anti-Leprosy Campaign Dr. Prasad Ranaweera stated that the decision was arrived at focusing on the mental well-being of the students.
Dr. Ranaweera also emphasized that the relevant Leprosy tests will be carried out at external locations as usual, and that the process of identification of the associates is ongoing continuously.
“More than 80% of children have non-infectious leprosy”, the doctor said.
“The matter is that when we identify such a child as a Leprosy patient, and the tests are carried out at the respective school, that child will undergo a huge mental stress.”
“We do not disclose the child’s identity, but in very rare cases it is possible to identify that child separately as a patient”, he added.
“Therefore, the Ministry of Health’s Anti-Leprosy Campaign decided not to conduct leprosy tests in relevant schools once a child is identified as a patient. We will conduct such tests only in special and selected situations. Overall, we will not continue such tests”, Dr. Ranaweera claimed.
