KARACHI: Drastic measures including sterilisation and extradition of immigrant cases have been decided upon by the Sind Government as part of its plan to curb the spread of leprosy in Sind.

It is announced that although Sind has no leprosy problem of its own, the facilities existing in Karachi for the treatment of leprosy attract to Sind increasingly large numbers of leper immigrants from other parts of India. Unless the immigration of lepers is immediately stopped, it is feared that leprosy may become indigenous to Sind. The entire burden of hospitalization and maintenance of the expanding leper population also falls on Sind because there is no provision to make any provincial Government pay for the maintenance of its lepers outside its territory.

The Sind Government, therefore, [has decided] to legislate, says a Press Note, for the sterilisation and registration of lepers and for their removal from the province. The police will carry out a weekly round-up of all lepers who after medical examination will be separated from non-infectious cases. The latter will be prosecuted under the Lepers Act, and are required to leave Sind. — Agencies

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019