"Fiji's Leper Colony

A Patient's View

"Fiji's Leper Colony i s A Back Number "

ome months ago, Dr. P. W. Dill -ssell Director of Medical Services Fiji’said that it would be unwise substitute leprosy treatment on out-patient basis for the present tern of complete isolation on kogai. Now here is a reader who agrees with Dr. Dill-Russell, and seems to have a point: He is iself an inmate of Makogai. We holding his name from publica t, although his letter is signed. an address which he made two years ago, Dr. Dill-Russell stated that, at the then rate of dis irges at Makogai, the leprosarium ild be closed in 15 years. This imistic outlook is not borne out present trends.

Vhile he quoted 125 cases as ring been discharged in 1958, he d that record would be broken 1959 The figures for 1959 showed it about half a dozen more tients left Makogai than in the wious year but that 42 of these re transferred to their own lepro •ium in the Gilbert Islands. Only a ry few of these were ready for ich&rgc For the current year a maximum 45 will be discharged. The actual mber will probably be nearer to as several already on the list 11 be bacteriologically positive ain before their time for dis arge.

With the present influx of new tients, it is improbable that the akogai Leprosarium will ever close, id this is largely because of the stem of isolation now in practice.

In very few cases do those m cted with leprosy come willing Makogai, and therefore the edical Department has the support highest authority, in apprehend g infected persons.

Because of the drastic measures ;ed to isolate patients, and be iuse they are vitually deprived of 1 civil rights through the isolation is hardly to be wondered at that come reluctantly. These ays the stock argument to induce atients to come is to tell them : the wonderful new drugs, and how aey will be discharged as cured m o time.

However, once the patient is larooned on Makogai, the story is sually quite different, and the atient regrets having been per aaded by half truths.

No Incentive

Not that conditions and treat aent on Makogai are anything but he best. But who wants to live

in paradise when their loved ones are in hell, without protection, with out adequate sustenance, without any prospect of improvement of their lot? Most patients lose every thing they possess besides their material assets—their wives and families and their incentive to start their lives over again.

It is to be hoped that the pend ing, general revision of the Fiji Laws based on the findings of the Burns Report, will have some in fluence on the isolation laws of Fiji in bringing them in line with those in more civilised countries. But, it is doubtful, as the Burns Commission did not come to Makogai and there is probably little chance of their having learnt anything about it, ex cept in the very best terms. I was notified by Mr. Strick. the secre ary of the Commission, that they would be glad to meet me soon after their arrival in Fiji to discuss certain gen eral proposals I had put forward in their quest for suggestions. My isola tion, as a patient at Makogai, made the meeting impossible; leave for a purpose of this kind had heyer been given in the 48 years of the Fiji Leper Ordinance.

Poverty Caused Riots

The Suva riots in December have been given a lot of publicity, in cluding a five weeks inquiry into the causes. While there has been much talk about the accompanying strike, the tear-gas bombs and the racial aspect, the real underlying cause that has only had passing attention is the great amount of poverty in Suva. v- * +v^ Dr. Hemming, in charge of the Bayly Clinic, in his annual report, stressed the significance of the amount of poverty in Suva and gave some authentic details of its causes.

In his statement about the 40 families that he is assisting each week, he said 6 per cent, were desti tute because of the isolation system of Makogai, which he de scribed as inhuman and out-of-date, when it made it quite impossible for bread-winners to attend to their affairs, and only occasionally gave a sadly inadequate, “destitute allowance to dependents.

But, with other government de partments living in the distant past, it is little wonder that the general condition of the poorer classes has to be brought to public notice by street rioting.

With modern knowledge of leprosy and its control at the disposal of all governments, the Fiji Medical Services prefer to support a system that was condemned 12 years ago by the sth International Congress of Leprologists, and most vehemently by the 7th Congress of 1958, which represents the world’s most eminent specialists in the field of leprosy.

Makogai’s isolation system has no support in modern medical science: it is uneconomical, irritational and out-of-date.