This article’s Professor and Doctor of Dermatology Duong Hy Xuyen (China) talk about the history of leprosy and the miracles that humans have fought to overcome this evil disease.

When you hear the word “leprosy”, what comes to mind first?

“Phong Village” is forgotten

Without a doubt, most people have this idea first in mind.

This is a somewhat frightening and remote topic, this bizarre disease has been too distant for us in the 21st century, far enough away to be forgotten.

Fifty years ago, hundreds of thousands of shunned leprosy people were still living in China, now it is hard to see them. The miserable patients are inherently seen as symbols of sin: leprosy and death are equated.

Leprosy is a chronic bacterial illness that can be written as leprosy, but it has nothing to do with madness. Perhaps to avoid such misunderstandings, this disease is often referred to as “leprosy”.

But everyone’s association with it is not only madness, but also represents bright red eyes, short fingers, festering wounds, amputated feet, distorted appearance and even death. miserable.

For thousands of years, leprosy has been considered an evil disease, even a symbol of evil, and under the tragic fate of leprosy patients, they continue to be tortured both physically and mentally, This is beyond our imagination.

In the old era, when medical technology was limited, medical equipment was scarce, leprosy was basically determined to be incurable since it had regionally contagious properties, the only way to Control of fluid growth is isolating the patient.

So, on the mountain, on an isolated island, a group of leprosy villages were built so that the sick lived there. There is no specific medicine or vaccine, and untreated self-resisting patients will continue to develop ulcers and disfigurement until they become paralyzed or even die.

Over time, people misunderstood, dispelled, and feared it, and the “scary” Phong was now a trademark of terror.

The end of the leprosy era

The leprosy history is long, stretching for 1400 years, like an endless nightmare.

It was not until 1874 that the Norwegian physician Hansen (GerhardH.A.Hansen) broke the darkness that he discovered the culprit – the bacterium Mycobacterium leprae.

Symptoms caused by Mycobacterium leprosy bacteria are manifested in the skin, peripheral nerves, mucosa of the upper respiratory tract and eyes, if not treated promptly can lead to blindness or deformity, disability and other consequences.

In other words, once leprosy is found, the disability rate will be very high. However, if the disability is detected early and treated promptly, the disability can be cured.

In current medical conditions, leprosy is already an easy-to-diagnose and treatable disease, currently in clinical use mainly a combination of many drugs and chemotherapy treatments, which can cure leprosy. Within 6-24 months, the contagiousness of the disease may disappear after a week of taking the drug.

Usually, if the patient unfortunately gets the disease, the patient does not need to have negative psychology and bewildered when treating this disease, on the one hand it will not be inherited, on the other hand, the survival rate of bacteria in vitro is low.

Generally, they can be destroyed by disinfection, most people have natural immunity (according to survey statistics with 90% or more), extremely low incidence, when infected. Nor does it need isolation, just treatment.

Darkness has long passed, the era when leprosy is “incurable disease” has been shortened by history. At present, there are basically few new cases, there is no so-called “leprosy village”, only more than 3,000 elderly people in community rehabilitation villages have survived the disease, but have also incapable of working, still facing sequelae.

Leprosy is not terrible

Although leprosy is rare, but because it is very similar to the symptoms of other diseases, it is possible to misdiagnose or omit the disease, so the prevention and treatment cannot be relaxed.

On the other hand, leprosy is a disease with a dark history. Even modern people will still have a lack of sympathy towards patients with fear of leprosy, which has become the biggest obstacle to leprosy prevention today.

So sometimes, it is not the terminal illness, but the hearts of people. Of course, society is not without action.

The last Sunday of January every year is “World leprosy Day”, many countries will organize many activities on this day to mobilize social forces to help leprosy patients overcome difficulties in their life. live and work to eliminate prejudice and discrimination.

There are also many volunteers entering the rehabilitation village, sharing, chatting, even eating, living together, giving care, warm care and making their best contributions. can.

The original purpose of writing this article was to hope everyone to have a correct understanding of leprosy, not to be bound by inherent impressions of the past. Leprosy is not as formidable and frightening as we can imagine. It can be seen from a scientific perspective, it will reduce the superficial evaluation and alienate the patient.

• According to The Paper

Nam Hien and his sister Nguyen Thi Hong

On an accidental occasion, I heard about the situation of a man who is an actor club of Nhon Hung commune music club (Tinh Bien). “The song life” seems to be involved in the life of this suffering man as well! He is Nguyen Van Hien, an acquaintance or Nam Hien, who is currently suffering from a stroke, is bedridden and is trying to shake the last days of his life in solitude.

Visiting Nam Hien’s house in Tay Hung hamlet on a hot afternoon, I met with my sister who was directly nurturing. In the hospital bed, Nam Hien was thin and thin, his blank eyes occasionally glancing around. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Hong (his biological sister Nam Hien) said that Nam Hien could not speak but also had no emotional expression, so the care was very extreme. From eating to personal hygiene, Nam Hien has to rely on his sister, because he is now a plant man.

Talking about Mr. Nam Hien’s situation, Ms. Hong could not hold back tears: “When he was still strong, he ran a” motorbike taxi “to make a living and went to the party to hire a party. The income was precarious at that time, but at least I could take care of myself. I remember, at that time he only ate rice with duck seeds, meals were cooked, meals were fried, meals were boiled. The sisters’ family lived next to each other, and I asked him to come over to eat together to help relieve loneliness. Maybe because his life is poor, his wife also left without looking back at her face once! ”.

In terms of character, Nam Hien is considered a gentle and quiet person. When going to the party to hire the party, it does not require or criticize much or less remuneration. One month before Nam Hien became ill, the wife of the first few years held her arms and knees and took off her shirt. “That day, he went to the lodge for people, sitting down suddenly. Everyone gathered and drove them to the hospital, so he couldn’t speak anymore. I stayed in the hospital for a few times, and I brought her here because my illness did not go away. Afraid that I would lie alone at night, if no one would continue, I brought it over to my house to take care of. Looking at you more and more emaciated, I feel very sorry “- Mrs. Hong choked.

Currently, Ms. Hong only watches the time of feeding rice, water and personal hygiene for Nam Hien. The over-60-year-old sister tried every meal to buy some meat and fish to foster her. Occasionally someone loved her. She would drop by for a bit of money to save her to buy more food for Nam Hien. Ms. Hong’s family background is not quite well off. The husband and wife work as hired labor and send money to her every month to live. Now she redistributed a portion of it to Nam Hien. Sometimes when she ran out of money, Mrs. Hong asked people to let her buy fish in shortage, and she would send it back when she had money. Thanks to good neighbors, loving Nam Hien’s circumstances, they were willing.

“I can’t help you, my intestines are bleeding softly! I think I went to a hundred temples and left my brother suffering with this disease even more guilty. If only I try to take care of me until the last day, so that if I have the best part, she will also be happy because my sister will be by my side in the last minute. His life is now over, his wife has abandoned it, and I do not look. I am a real sister, but if not burdened anymore, how can she live! Now, I just hope that all the donors will help me to have more conditions to worry for a long-term Hien year, because my family can only eat enough ”- Ms. Hong confided.

According to the People’s Committee of Nhon Hung commune, Mr. Nguyen Van Hien is one of the near-poor households of the locality. The current situation is quite difficult because of the catastrophic disease and no money to live. We hope all the benefactors help Nam Hien have more conditions to live with the disease that pushed his life into this tragic situation!

Any sharing, help, readers can send to the address: The An Giang Newspaper Charity – Social Affairs Department (No. 399B Ha Hoang Ho, My Xuyen Ward, Long Xuyen City, An Giang), phone: 0986.058.053. Account name: An Giang Newspaper, account number: 6700201006825 at Bank for Agriculture & Rural Development- An Giang Branch.