Twelve of the 17 regional leprosy treatment clinics in the U.S. will close this year as a result of a $3.5 million budget cut to the Health Resources and Services Administration, which oversees the nationwide treatment program, reports AZ Central.
Leprosy, now referred to as Hansen's Disease, is a chronic illness caused by a bacterial infection. While it is easy to cure with a course of antibiotics, those who don't receive timely intervention can suffer from chronic foot wounds, disfigured or paralyzed hands and feet and blindness. About half of the 6,500 reported cases in the U.S. require active medical care.
Prior to 1981, people suffering from Hansen's Disease would be sent to the National Leprosarium, now called the Gillis W. Long Hansen's Disease Center, in Louisiana. In 1981, thanks to medical advancements, HRSA established a network of outpatient clinics around the country to improve access to care for people with the disease.
However, as a result of the federal budget cuts, just five of the 17 Hansen Disease regional clinics in the U.S. will remain open. Patients will still be able to receive regional care at clinics in California, Florida, New York, Texas and Puerto Rico. The program's main clinic in Baton Rouge, La., will also remain open.
The federal Hansen's Disease Program "has decided to reduce the number of ambulatory care clinics to align resources with levels of care that patients receive," said Martin Kramer, HRSA's director of communications, according to the report.
Mr. Kramer said program will still provide training, education, outreach and free medication to physicians who treat Hansen's Disease. In addition, because of the closures, patients with any severe complications will be transferred to their main clinic "free of charge."
Ken Saffier, MD, who oversaw the recently shuttered Martinez (Calif.) Hansen's Disease clinic, has raised concerns over the closures.
"We're concerned patients will not get care," Dr. Saffier told AZ Central, adding that leprosy patients whose care is delayed can develop irreversible nerve damage. "We are uncomfortable with the idea there will be a gap in care — or no care."