Founder of the Lepers Aid Committee Rev. Fr. Andrew Campbell has urged health professionals to avoid discrimination when delivering care to patients.
He pointed out that all people seeking healthcare, including lepers, need equitable treatment and compassion from professionals.
Rev. Fr. Campbell made the call when the Catholic Health Professionals Guild paid a visit to the Weija Leprosarium in Accra, as part of events to commemorate the World Day of the Sick.
As part of the Day’s activities, the Guild offered free health screenings to 26 cured lepers and relatives who cared for them at the facility.
The exercise included vital assessments, HIV tests, eye screening, breast examination, general consultations, and the provision of medication.
Rev. Fr. Campbell said ignorance and fear remained a barrier between society and persons who have recovered from leprosy.
He said despite years of public education and support, lepers in other areas were still neglected by their families.
“The greatest problem we have here is the stigma. People (even health professionals) are afraid to go near lepers, to touch them or to talk to them…Each one of them [at the Leprosarium] is cured, and we want to give them the best because they have been treated badly by their families and society,” he said.
Rev. Fr. Campbell, who has led advocacy for poor people for the past 50 years, also called for more resources, stating that the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) fund was insufficient.
In addition to the medical treatments, the Guild donated GH¢5,000 to support activities at the Leprosarium. They also organised a holy Mass, which was conducted by Rev. Fr. David Amissah Andoh, the association’s Chaplain.
In his sermon, Rev Andoh commended care providers and encouraged survivors of the disease to feel confident about themselves.
“There is no difference between a leper and someone who is not. We are all the same. Leprosy is a curable disease, and we need not despise people with this condition. They are also children of God,” he said.
Rev Fr. Campbell thanked members of the Guild for the gesture and other benefactors of various Leprosaria across the country.
World Day of the Sick is an annual event that raises awareness and advocates for high-quality health care. It was established in 1992, during the reign of Pope John Paul II, and was first observed on February 11, 1993.
The theme for this year’s celebration was “Healing the Sick by Healing Relationships.” The day also marks the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in southern France serves as a miraculous healing place for the sick.
