Mobile footwear unit, a LEPRA’s project, supported by Pavers, UK, provides customised protective Micro-cellular rubber (MCR) footwear at the doorstep to people affected by leprosy living in the colonies of Bihar and Telangana. The mobile unit is a new initiative by LEPRA for people affected by leprosy in Telangana state. The main purpose of this unit is to reach out to people with leprosy and LF foot disabilities that cannot otherwise access the footwear services they need. The van will visit leprosy colonies and areas of high LF morbidity.
The staff of the unit will move from location to location as per pre-scheduled calendar, take necessary footwear measurements, dress ulcers, train individuals in self-care and provide customised footwear before moving to the next location. Currently, LEPRA is providing protective footwear for grade one and two through our four referral centres located at Hyderabad, Mahbubnagar, Nirmal and Asifabad districts and providing around 1350 pairs of protective footwear in a year. We noticed that people with leprosy have to travel long distances to avail protective footwear and also some of our beneficiaries (people with leprosy) are staying in remote and inaccessible villages and they are travelling long distances to avail footwear.
During the course of one year the mobile foot care unit will:
- Reach 20 leprosy colonies in Telangana state twice in a year
- Manufacture and provide 2,000 pairs of shoes, each designed for individual needs
- Train 1038 people affected by leprosy in self-care techniques improving mobility and reducing infections
- 400 persons with LF will be provided protective footwear in endemic pockets of the coverage areas
- Dress ulcers and provide dressing materials for 1038 patients, reducing recurrent ulcers by 80%
- Reach more than 150,000 vulnerable people with health education messages
- Identify and refer new cases to the nearest government health facilities
- In year two, after reaching all the colonies, the project will also focus on the people with leprosy, LF living in remote areas of the coverage areas /districts and provide footwear at their villages or doorsteps