Aasha was six years old when her family first noticed blisters on her legs. She was taken to a nearby health centre where she was given medicine for an allergy, but there was no improvement in her condition.

By the time she was ten, blisters had started appearing on her face.

Her condition continued to deteriorate, and she was eventually referred to INF Nepal’s Green Pastures Hospital, where she got the correct diagnosis and treatment for leprosy.

Aasha faces the problem of a reaction to the leprosy drugs, with fever and nerve pain as the major symptoms. One of the drugs causes temporary darkening of the skin, and Aasha feels uncomfortable when people see her differently.

New leprosy ward

A new 30-bed leprosy ward is being built at Green Pastures in 2022, to improve INF Nepal’s care for patients like Aasha.

Improved facilities in the new ward will have long-lasting benefits and provide inpatient nursing care to around 300 patients each year. People receiving outpatient care will also benefit, as well as caregivers staying with patients, and family members.

The new ward will include better facilities for self-care training, a veranda for recreational activities, and a nursing station centrally located to all rooms. In response to feedback from patients, it will also provide a bed for a caregiver, storage facilities, a small ceiling fan over each bed, and a dedicated reading light.