China will make restoration and expansion to the infrastructures of its existing leprosaria and improve the residing and living conditions for leprosy patients in one to two years.
It is learnt from China's Ministry of Health that currently, 210,000 recovered leprosy patients are living in China, including 21,000 who are homeless and not cared for due to their age, disability, inability to care for themselves or having never married as well as people's fear and discrimination against leprosy and those it afflicts. They have to stay in the leprosaria for years. China now has 617 leprosaria, and Yunnan Province has123, the largest number amongst all the provinces.
According to plans, each leprosarium will accommodate around 250 patients after reconstruction. The houses will be designed to be an obstacle-free environment in which facilities for living, public and medical services will be built for recuperation and recreation. Residential facilities are mainly bungalows equipped with washing machines, solar energy water heaters and others according to the principle of ten sq. meters for each person. Some leprosaria that are able can set up private bathrooms.
(China News Service June 29, 2006)
