An Expert Continuing Medical Education (CME) event on leprosy was successfully hosted by Amrita Hospital, Faridabad's Department of Dermatology; the event, titled “Clinical Updates, Mandatory Notification and Role of Adjunct Interventions in the Post-Elimination Era”, was part of their MIP Vaccination Project. Faculty, attending doctors and non-medical support staff were brought together for this academic exchange on important clinical and public health issues related to leprosy.
In the inaugural session, Dr. Neena Khanna Head and Prof. of Dermatology (Department of Dermatology, Amrita Hospital) articulated that leprosy remains relevant in the post-elimination era. It is the responsibility of dermatologists to diagnose leprosy early, notify in a timely manner and improve co-ordination with public health systems to help reduce the incidence of leprosy and ensure that patients receive their full course of treatment.
The scientific presentations were informative and included practical, clinical and operational aspects related to managing leprosy. Dr. Priyansh Gupta, epidemiologist, provided an overview of the current epidemiology of leprosy based on recent trends/data. Followed by Dr. Ruchika Garg’s (Dermatologist) described how to practically recognize and dx (diagnose) cases of leprosy in everyday life. Dr. Sachin Gupta’s (Dermatologist) had atypical presentations of leprosy and how it affects the ability to diagnose these patients and the various nuances in the way cases may appear and what those look like when being assessed for leprosy.
Dr. Saroj provided an overview of leprosy reactions covering the important red flags to monitor for and the things to do to management when they occur. Presentations by Dr. Harjinder Singh, DLO – cum Deputy Civil Surgeon/Ministry of Health for State of Haryana, Faridabad, were of significant importance as he explained the mandatory processes that must be followed for the notification process within the government. During the session he provided a demonstration of how to complete/present the notifications (paperwork completed from each health care provider) to the District Leprosy Office, and this presentation added considerable practical value to the session.
In addition to improving the overall quality of the event, the presentation of Dr. Sanidhya Bhargava on the MIP vaccination project as an adjunct intervention for leprosy control. Also the informative session delivered by Dr. Bela Bhatt, and the contribution of Dr. Vichitra with the sponsored scientific session, complemented the previous sessions and provided great value at the CME by serving as a venue for sharing information, engaging with other professionals, and strengthening clinical and public health practices regarding leprosy. The programme ended with an interactive session, marking a successful end to the programme.
