(Baonghean.vn) - "In addition to enduring physical pain, people with leprosy have to live their whole lives with mental pain, torment, and inferiority complex" - Mr. Vien, a resident of Quynh Lap leprosy village (Hoang Mai town - Nghe An) confided.
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One side facing the sea, the other side facing the mountains, in Quynh Lap, Hoang Mai, there used to be a hospital that later became a village almost isolated from the outside. This is the place where patients infected with Hansen's virus or leprosy - one of the four incurable diseases at that time lived.Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| Thanks to advances in medicine and the promotion of propaganda, the stigma against leprosy patients has gradually improved. Currently, Quynh Lap leprosy village is treating more than 200 people, of whom 70% are severely disabled, and 70 people need on-site care. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| Mr. Truong Nhat Vien, 86 years old, one of the first residents of Quynh Lap leprosarium, confided that the lives of leprosy patients in the past were a series of dark days. In addition to enduring physical pain, leprosy patients had to live their lives with mental torment and inferiority complex. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| In the past, leprosy patients from all over the country were brought to Quynh Lap Leprosy Hospital in Hoang Mai Town for treatment. They were not only treated but also nurtured spiritually with the love and sympathy of doctors and nurses and people in the same situation. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| Sitting in a wheelchair, Ms. Mai was pushed by her son to the village's communal yard. Her husband's son. She started getting sick at the age of 14, and when her illness became severe and she had to amputate her leg, she found out she had leprosy. After coming to Quynh Lap leprosy village for a while, 9 years ago, she met her husband. "My husband is from the North, unfortunately he got leprosy so he moved to Quynh Lap for treatment. Before coming to me, he had his own family. But when he heard that he was sick, his wife left him, leaving him and their child under 1 year old to fight the disease alone," Ms. Mai said. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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| After 4 years of marriage, she and her husband had their first daughter. Pregnancy is hard for normal women, but it is even harder for someone with leprosy who has lost her legs like her. During her pregnancy, she often crawled around the house with her pregnant belly to take care of everything. Photo: Chu Thanh |
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Mr. Tran Van Trung, Head of Social Work Department of Quynh Lap Hospital, said that due to loss of labor capacity, patients in the village almost live on subsidies.Photo: Chu Thanh |
Chu Thanh
