Training
The National Training Institute for Leprosy was established in 1965. The primary objective of the institute was to train a group of paramedical workers in the art and science of Leprosy, one of the most stigmatized diseases to the mankind.
Over the last 42 years, the institute has conducted basic and advance Leprosy technician training courses for the paramedical workers of Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan and Bangladesh. In addition regular updates have also been provided to undergraduate and postgraduate medical students. Health education department, which is a part of training institute, has continued health awareness activities for health professionals and general public with equal zeal.
The detail distribution of leprosy technicians trained:
Course |
Total |
Provincial Distribution |
|||||||
NWFP |
*GK |
*Sindh |
AJK |
NA |
BAL |
PJB |
FOR |
||
Junior Leprosy Tech: |
563 |
93 |
129 |
49 |
116 |
44 |
59 |
28 |
45 |
Senior Leprosy Tech: |
295 |
80 |
71 |
21 |
54 |
17 |
36 |
10 |
06 |
Chief Leprosy Tech: |
169 |
49 |
48 |
12 |
36 |
10 |
07 |
04 |
03 |
Mid Management |
70 |
18 |
11 |
03 |
21 |
05 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
NWFP: North West Frontier Province
GK & Sindh: Statistics are separate as NGO runs the program in Karachi while in rest of the province it is collaboration between NGO and Provincial Health Services.
AJK: Azad Jammu & Kashmir, NA: Northern Areas, BAL: Baluchistan, PJB: Punjab
FOR: Foreigners (From other countries like Afghanistan, Bangladesh ..)
As leprosy was controlled in 1996, the department sensing the need, diversified its activities by arranging Ophthalmic and TB Technician Training courses through networking with other reputed training institutes of the country. As a result the dominant majority of leprosy technicians have also completed their training in ophthalmology and TB.
At present, the training activities are more focused on to integrate the knowledge and skills of all three disciplines to prepare the leprosy technicians for a more holistic community health work. A two years FSc (Community and Family Health) course under Allama Iqbal Open University for field workers has just completed in 2009.
All these efforts are made to ensure a skilled and knowledgeable workforce at operation level, ready to meet the new health challenges while continuing leprosy surveillance for next few decades.
