Clinical leprosy – a basic course for doctors (2015)
Target groups
Doctors working in leprosy hospitals/clinics, in leprosy control (field programmes), in leprosy
research, or in general hospitals where leprosy is often managed.
Other health workers such as physiotherapists, senior nurses who regularly have responsibility for
care of leprosy-affected people may benefit from attendance.
Considered suitable also as revision/updating course for those with some experience of leprosy.
Duration: 5 full days, including in 40 hours tuition at least 10 hours of practical work at hospital and
optional visit to peripheral leprosy clinic.
Location: Nilphamari leprosy training centre ( run by The leprosy Mission Bangladesh)
Date: 26th to 30th April 2015
(need to arrive 23rd April and free to leave after 5pm 30th April or morning of 1st May)
Objective: After the course, participants should be competent to diagnose leprosy , understand skin
smear reports, treat patients appropriately with multidrug therapy and manage any adverse reaction
to MDT, recognise and treat all common complications of leprosy (including neuritis, reversal
reaction, ENL, iridocyclitis), practise comprehensive disability prevention, recognise suitable cases
for reconstructive surgery and know what is available, advise patients on ulcer prevention, manage
simple and complicated ulcers, make appropriate referrals for interventions not available locally,
recognise & manage relapse, complete reports for NLCP, recognise and respond to patients`
emotional and social needs arising from leprosy.
Schedule
Class room teaching
Practicals- history taking, clinical examination and motivational interviewing
Optional additional days before or after formal course (at extra cost) : Ward rounds, clinic visit,
observe ulcer care/ septic surgery, possibly reconstructive surgery if suitable cases are listed. For
individual arrangements please discuss with training centre staff/chief facilitator.
Costs
Course fees plus Basic accommodation in training centre with all meals (shared room):
15,100 bdt for Bangladeshis (200 USD or £130 for foreign candidates)
Course fees plus guest house accommodation including breakfast and evening meal at GH, lunch in
TC: 19,500 bdt for Bangladeshis (250 USD or £170 for foreign candidates)
Booking: Please let us know by 31st March how many candidates are to be sent from your organisation.
If less than 8 candidates (total from all sources) are booked, it may be necessary to postpone the course.
Travel arrangements: if you need advice on travel to Nilphamari, please contact training officer at
ntc@tlmbangladesh.org or manager at kolponak@tlmbangladesh.org . We could arrange pick up at
nearest airport (Saidpur) or Nilphamari railway station.
Foreign delegates would need to apply in advance for a visa from Bangladesh Embassy/High
Commission in own country (not available on arrival at airport in Dhaka).
Draft timetable
Sunday
26.4.15
Introduction,
pre test.
Visit hospital.
Monday
27.4.15
Neuritis,
effects of
nerve function
impairment ,
WHO disability
gradings, EHF
score
Development
& Prevention
of disability,
ulcer
prevention and
home care of
ulcers
Tuesday
28.4.15
Wednesday national
29.4.15
control
programme
Thursday
Post test
30.4.15
Presenting
signs and
symptoms,
diagnosis, skin
smears
Practical nerve
function
assessments,
Practise
disability
assessment
Clinical
examination
practical
session
Classification;
MDT: rationale,
effects, and
implementation
Steroid
courses and
risks
Reversal
reaction and
ENL reaction.
Demonstration Footwear,
of care of
dept visit and
anaesthetic
demo of
feet, ulcer n
various types
hospital,
of protective
neuropathic
FW/orthoses/
disintegration prosthetics
of bone
Field visit to clinic
(Rangpur sadar?)
Long case (practical), looking at
not only physical but
psychological, emotional,
social needs of patient.
Eye problems
Adverse
reactions to
MDT, drug
resistance,
relapse
Patient
examination
and histories
(reaction or
neuritis cases)
Reconstructive
and other
surgery in
leprosy
Epidemiology
and Indicators,
operational &
epidemiological,
interpretation
of statistics etc
Recording and
reporting
exercise
Review of test
results and
discuss
answers, any
remaining
questions.
Empowerment,
self efficacy,
rehabilitation
Closing,
certificate
giving, feedback
Evening assignments of reading, seeing videos, preparing case histories etc
Facilitators include doctors and other professionals with long experience of leprosy work.
Chief facilitator: Dr C Ruth Butlin, CBE, MRCGP (medical advisor to DBLM hospital and Rural health
programmes of TLMBangladesh)
2nd week: to be arranged according to individuals` needs, might include more field visits, join ward
rounds, study individual case management, observe in theatre, observe and practise in
physiotherapy dept. or spend time with research assistants undertaking Maltalep/tenlep/enlist
other studies.