Pioneer Leprosy centre at Fr.Muller’s marks 125 year jubilee

Pioneer Leprosy centre at Fr.Muller’s marks 125 year jubilee

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru : Father Muller Charitable Institutions, Kankanady will organise post-centenary silver jubilee (125 years) celebrations of St Joseph Leprosy Hospital and golden jubilee of rehabilitation unit. The function will be at Academy Hall of the institution on April 11 at 5.30 pm.

FMMC Administrator Rev Fr Rudolph Ravi D’Sa said Minister for Health and Family Welfare U T Khader will be chief guest for post-centenary silver jubilee celebrations of St Joseph Leprosy Hospital.

State Leprosy Officer Joint Director Vimala Patel, Helpers of Mount Rosary Superior General Rev Sr Prescilla D’Mellow, Provincial Superior of Jesuits Rev Fr. Stany D’Souza, Mangalore Bishop Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D’Souza and others would be the guests of honour.

Leprosy was considered as a dreaded disease in 1890 and Fr Augustus Muller established an asylum for leprosy patients in Jeppu which was named as St Joseph Asylum. There were a large number of patients in those times.  Trained doctors came to the fore in 1926 when Dr Aloysius Felix Coelho who took charge and served for 35 years. In 1962, the arrival of Swiss doctors, of ’Swiss Emmaus’, brought lot of  improvement in quality of care and treatment for leprosy. The hospital conducted many leprosy eradication programmes in the district and brought leprosy cases down to one per ten thousand, which is a miracle. At present the hospital has transformed into a full-fledged Dermatology department with adequate teaching faculty and nineteen PG students and modern amenities to treat skin disorders.