Reviewing the early days of Lalgadh Leprosy hospital

We are almost ready to launch our newly redesigned website.

It has been a nostalgic journey as we looked through old photographs and revisited stories about the early days of Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital and the subsequent establishment of Nepal Leprosy Trust.

You can read about our founder Eileen Lodge (1925 – 2019) who passed away in late last year. Eileen’s contribution to leprosy work in Nepal is immense. She established leprosy treatment and rehabilitation centres in Pokhara, Kathmandu, Lalgadh, and Dharan. She gave up her British citizenship and became a Nepali citizen, living in Nepal for 66 years.  Read more about her life here.

Bir Bahadur Thapa, circa 1993. ©NLT

Bir Bahadur (above) as he worked in Lalgadh hospital, circa 1993. One of his tasks at that time was cutting and making different size bandages from large rolls of gauze. He has now retired. Quite a few of the staff from those early years are still working in the hospital today.

Hem, who now manages Ashako Pariwar, was chatting to Bir Bahadur as he returned home one evening last week (end of August 2020) from his rice field. His field is situated just beside the hospital and Ashoka Pariwar.  They chatted about those early days when Bir Bahadur worked in the Inpatient Department and out about the field work that both himself and Hem undertook in the community. As you can see from the photo below Bir Bahadur is looking really well and healthy.

Bir Bahadur Thapa, content in his retirement from Lalgadh Leprosy Hospital. Photo: ©Hem NLT