Novartis India Ltd

Company: Novartis India Ltd

Income 2005-2006 =  Rs  500 Cr (rounded off)

Net profit after tax (05-06) = Rs   65  Cr (rounded off)

Karmayog CSR Rating- 2/5

CSR activities:

Novartis India wants to be known as a responsible corporate citizen. We operate in a manner that is sustainable � economically, socially and environmentally � and in the best interests of long-term success for our company.

• The Novartis core values are based on the fundamental rights of every individual, such as the protection of privacy, nondiscrimination and the freedoms of opinion, expression and association.
• We integrate the principles of Corporate Citizenship into our business strategies and day-to-day commercial activities.
• Our associates are the key to our success and human resources policies and practices at Novartis are based on fairness, openness and mutual respect.
• We care about the expectations and concerns of all our stakeholders � from shareholders and customers, to patients, health care professionals and regulatory authorities.

Health & Sanitation:

 

Glivec� International Patient Assistance Program (GIPAP�) : This program was set up by Novartis to provide access to Glivec to those patients suffering from a particular form of chronic myeloid leukaemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumours who could not afford the drug and were not reimbursed. GIPAP is administered by the Max Foundation, a non-profit organisation. Every single person who cannot afford the drug and is appropriate for therapy with it, receives Glivec absolutely free of any charge. More than 99% of patients who are on Glivec in India receive the drug totally free of any charge while less than 1% of patients who are on the drug pay for it and these are people who are reimbursed. On an average 30 new patients are enrolled onto GIPAP each week. Patients on GIPAP come from all over the country including the North-East. Currently there are more than 6,500 patients who are on GIPAP and receive Glivec completely free of charge. The company has so far distributed Glivec valued at Rs 1100 crore absolutely free of charge to patients enrolled under GIPAP since the inception of the program in late 2002.

Other Events

Education: The Indian School of Business scholarship: A yearly scholarship of Rs 12 lakh is divided among three needy women students with excellent academic credentials coming from middleclass backgrounds. Novartis has been doing this for the last three years and is committed to giving this scholarship every year for the next five years starting 2007. Further extensions will be considered at the end of this five year period. Nine women from the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad have benefited from the program and the cumulative expenditure has been Rs 36 lakh.

 

Akanksha: Novartis has participated in the Standard Chartered marathon held in 2004 and 2005 with a commitment that the amount donated to Give India goes to Akanksha for the education and health of underprivileged children. We have also funded a new centre for Akanksha at Prabhadevi for children at entry level to school. Employees are encouraged to volunteer time at this centre. Rs 3 lakh is donated each year. Since the past two years employees are also volunteering time in the office for a mentor program for Akanksha children who are in classes IX and X. This has led to a rise in creativity among the children, better results at school and an increase in their feeling of self-worth. It has also helped raise satisfaction among employees serving as mentors. This program is in the city of Mumbai benefits around 120 children each year. Cumulatively Rs 9 lakh has been given.

Novartis Oration Award for Research in Cancer: In association with the Indian Council of Medical Research, Novartis has instituted an oration award given on alternate years to eminent scientists for outstanding work carried out in the field of cancer. The corpus fund is managed by ICMR.

 

Spastics Society of India: Novartis has sponsored an anganwadi for these special children and keeps in contact with them on its progress. The company endeavour has been to ensure that these children who are otherwise marginalized by society have a fair chance at receiving education. Around 30 children in Mumbai have benefited from a donation of Rs 1.25 lakh.

 

Civic and Community Initiatives: Garden: Novartis agreed to develop and maintain a garden on a plot of land belonging to the Nehru Centre. The company spent Rs 45 lakh to develop the garden and is committed to maintaining it for a period of thirty years until 2031 and thereafter on mutually agreeable terms. This has provided succour to a greenery starved Mumbai and serves as a healthy lung to this concrete jungle. Annual recurring expenditure is around Rs 3 lakh.

 

Other details sent by the organisation .

Corporate Citizenship is at Novartis is an integral part of how we as a company operate and is integral to our business.  We believe corporate citizenship is the right thing to do and essential to maintaining our license to operate, innovate and grow.  Through responsible business, we endeavour to create value for society.  Our corporate citizenship commitment rests on four pillars: patients, business conduct, people and communities and environmental care.

We ensure that corporate citizenship is an integral part of the way we do business through our processes and governance.  We endorse the right to health and endeavour to create value for all our patients, including those who cannot afford treatment.

We strive for high performance with integrity because it is the right thing to do and is key to our success.  We provide our employees with the safest possible workplace, and promote their health and well-being.  We do our best to be a good neighbour.

Environment sustainability is an integral part of our strategy.  We protect the environment by operating to the highest standards.  We act on our values as a good corporate citizen.

In fact, at Novartis every employee is involved at some level in the furtherance of Corporate Citizenship.

1. The Board has adopted the Corporate Citizenship / Code of Conduct policy with a focus on the triple bottom line. The Vice Chairman & Managing Director together with his senior management Company associates actively participate in various Corporate Citizenship initiatives.
2. Globally Novartis dedicates one day every year to Community Work where employees are encouraged to go out on company time and work for the community.  In India, we encourage people to go beyond this one day. This has resulted in these activities being spread over a period of 7 to 10 days.

3)      The Vice Chairman and Managing Director takes every opportunity to spread the message of Corporate Social Responsibility in all interactions be it with government, the medical fraternity, employees, business partners or the media. He is also closely involved in the work being done by the Corporate Citizenship team and attends their meetings whenever required.

 

Objectives of Novartis Comprehensive Leprosy Care Association (NCLCA)

Novartis has pioneered the drugs used in the treatment of leprosy. It has discovered clofazimine and rifampicin, the principal ingredients used in the treatment of leprosy. It has also pioneered the Blister Calendar Packing carrying explicatory information for facilitating its acceptance for leprosy treatment.

With the corporate citizenship initiative, Novartis has pledged to improve access to treatment and has been donating WHO-established MDT regimen free of cost to all leprosy patients throughout the world since 2000. However, what makes a patient dejected and stigmatized is the deformities occurring due to the disease; and what makes them de-habilitated and ostracized is the continuation of disabilities in leprosy. In order to address this major problem faced by more than 1 million patients in India and about 2 to 3 million patients worldwide, the Novartis Comprehensive Leprosy Care Association was established. NCLCA has pioneered several key modalities of disability care and has won several accolades acknowledging it as a holistic project.

NCLCA�s main objective is to provide all leprosy affected patients with comprehensive care which includes:

�€€€€€€€€ Improving access to treatment in order to interrupt the transmission of leprosy and thereby facilitate progress towards a leprosy-free world.

�€€€€€€€€ Providing disability prevention, correction and care services to facilitate physical rehabilitation along with structural and functional recovery, thereby effectively reducing the burden of leprosy disabilities in the community.

�€€€€€€€€ Offering community-based socio-economic rehabilitation by providing aids and articles for income generation.

�€€€€€€€€ Improving the quality of life of disabled persons by treating them on a par with other disabled, thus creating the environment for their acceptance without discrimination.

�€€€€€€€€ Carrying out field-oriented research in tools for leprosy eradication and helping in removing the stigma attached to leprosy by increasing social awareness.

2. Research

 

Every modality of comprehensive care has been developed based on the field area research and local needs bearing in mind the community-based rehabilitation of leprosy disabled and handicapped. It was envisaged that simple solutions for the village level where these people reside would contribute to overall societal development with sustainable solutions. Research continues even today. The latest development involves boosting the self-esteem of severely handicapped persons by enabling them to carry out the activities of daily living with the help of simple Velcro-rubber grip-aids. Within minutes, with a prefabricated grip-aid, a person without fingers is able to hold a spoon and eat with ease. His dependence is gone and ergonomically s/he feels empowered to carry out normal tasks.

The Key Modalities of Disability Care Services & Research by NCLCA

Health Education

Numbness and loss of sensation in hands and feet are key concerns for leprosy patients. Health education on how to care for hands and feet lacking feeling is crucial for the prevention of secondary deformities through injuries or burns. Patients need to learn the importance of checking their hands and feet daily for injuries and treating them when they do occur.

NCLCA has designed an educational pamphlet. Patients are instructed to watch their hands closely to compensate for the loss of sensation and not to touch sharp objects and hot items with unprotected hands. This pamphlet has been the mainstay of NCLCA�s health education program over the years and has been translated in to many Indian languages as well as Burmese and Sinhalese. In addition, a simple question-answer booklet published by NCLCA deals with typical questions asked by patients, their families and the public.

Teaching physiotherapy exercises

Physiotherapy exercises are aimed at maintaining the range of movements in finger joints which would otherwise become stiff and immovable, thereby preventing the worsening of deformities.

A simple package of exercises, one for each deformity, has been developed and is taught through group therapy by way of the camp and workshop approach. Later, patients can carry out the same at home thereby preventing the worsening of their deformity status. All general health physiotherapists are trained in leprosy-related services.  

Foot care and �Self-care Kit� for healing of wounds or ulcers in anesthetic feet

People with a loss of sensation on the soles of their feet hurt themselves easily as they are often barefoot and do not notice early injuries. If neglected, these injuries can progressively worsen, become ulcers and take a long time to heal. The healing process is undermined as these people usually find it impossible to rest the affected feet. The most effective way of dealing with ulcers is by empowering patients to take care of their own limbs. Once they and their families are convinced that self-care is effective, it becomes second nature to them.

NCLCA conducts self-care clinics to teach groups of patients the how’s and why’s of self-care. It has developed a special �Self-care Kit� containing sterile gauze pieces, scissors, sticking plaster, foot scraper, bandages, as well as an antiseptic cream and specially developed moisturizing cream. The enthusiastic response and high levels of participation among patients with foot ulcers at these clinics has been extremely impressive. Follow-up clinics, held after a six-week interval, have clearly indicated good compliance with the self-care instructions and a dramatic improvement in the patients� ulcers. The empowerment of patients in self-care is the primary objective of the participation of the afflicted, and their relatives in case a person is incapable of carrying out self-care himself. Patients learn and interact with healthcare staff, other affected persons and project personnel.

MCR Footwear

Patients also receive special footwear with insoles made of microcellular rubber (MCR) which help in distributing the pressure of the body weight on the sole of the feet. The MCR footwear helps in preventing the occurrence of foot ulcers and also in healing of the ulcers if any.

NCLCA has significantly contributed to the acceptance of the MCR footwear among patients by using commercial designs in order to overcome the reluctance of patients to use the typical leprosy footwear which labels them as leprosy sufferers. Through research studies, NCLCA has also established the priorities for the distribution of the footwear among large populations of the disabled in the field areas.

Current research involves selection of such designs that will obviate the need for various sizes in footwear so as to effectively distribute the same through healthcare staff working in the villages. 

Prefabricated Splints

Innovative products and services like prefabricated standardized splints for hand and foot deformities in leprosy were introduced by NCLCA to be delivered through government healthcare staff at the field level. Given to thousands of patients as an aid, both pre-operatively and post-operation, such splints have helped cure and prevent deformities. The Project Director was awarded ALIMCO Award for this work in 1993. Since then, other projects and government leprosy control programs in India and abroad have adopted these prefabricated splints.

Grip-Aids

Modulan� Grip-Aids were derived from the company�s original epoxy resin product (Araldite�) to make adaptable moulds to suit the hand deformity of an individual. They were made at the doorstep of the disabled patients to help in activities of daily living and also for using occupational tools to increase productivity. Hundreds of advanced inoperable cases have benefited from these grip-aids. Prompted by its popularity, the epoxy resins of other companies are also being used by leprosy staff. Thus, grip-aids developed by NCLCA have provided an impetus for the care of the highly disabled. The current research undertaken for making and distributing the Grip-aids made of Velcro rubber has been cited elsewhere.

The break-up of thousands of cases in Gujarat who have received disability care services is given on page 35 of the publication – Gujarat Action Plan.

Reconstructive surgery

NCLCA pioneered the camp and workshop approach to offer benefits to those who have deformities and disabilities due to leprosy and to train surgeons who would like to learn and offer their services.

The NCLCA team has carried out surgery at various places like Surat, Baroda, and Parbhani where nearly 600 patients were operated. In collaboration with the government, it promoted mega-camps at Gujarat where Dr Atul Shah, Director, NCLCA acted as the main teacher and guide. Nearly 5000 patients were operated.  The Government of India has lauded it as the �Gujarat Model� and recommended it to other states so they too can follow it.

Economic rehabilitation

Social integration of the leprosy-handicapped forms an integral part of NCLCA�s leprosy disability management program and economic rehabilitation is one of the prime components of this social integration. A simplified approach to this economic rehabilitation involves identification of needy cases, noting their social status, as also their profession, and identifying appliances and articles required for the same. Reconstructive surgery followed by economic rehabilitation achieves physical correction of deformities and also benefits patients functionally. The guiding principle is that the person himself / herself should be able to use the aid or appliance given to him / her. The family of the person should be able to support the venture, failing which members of the family must use the aid for the benefit of the person and family as a whole. Depending on the vocation of the affected individual, income generation aids are offered such as hand carts, sewing machines, agriculture kits, carpentry kits, masonry kits and other miscellaneous vocational kits.

NCLCA carries out economic rehabilitation activities for needy patients in Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra. The economic rehabilitation program is conducted as a public function with maximum participation of the community, local leaders, administrators and political leaders. At the economic rehabilitation program, local leaders of the community as well as political leaders participate and also generate the will for total care of disabled leprosy patients. The function receives wide publicity so as to create awareness of the disease.

About a thousand patients have received economic rehabilitation aids in Goa, Gujarat and Maharashtra. Follow-up demonstrated an increase in income ranging from Rs 600/- per month to Rs 3000/- per month in about 85% of the cases. 

3. Strategy

Since the majority of the patients affected by leprosy are extremely poor and cannot afford the treatment, Novartis (then Ciba-Geigy) decided to assist them by setting up a Leprosy Fund. This was done through the Ciba-Geigy Foundation, now known as the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development (NFSD) following the merger between Ciba and Sandoz to form Novartis.

NFSD decided to support the Comprehensive Leprosy Care Project (CLCP) with the concept of providing �comprehensive care�, meaning not only being involved in the medical treatment, but also the physical and social rehabilitation of patients in 1989. Within a short period of 2 years, CLCP was acclaimed as a successful model. So, in order to implement the Project over a larger area, Novartis (then Ciba) extended it to the entire state of Goa.  It was felt that this project would bring benefits to the affected persons as well as society at large.

Novartis India Limited provided the office space at Mumbai to implement both the Gujarat and Goa programs. The office premises also functioned as a training place. Officials from the World Bank, World Health Organization and leading Leprologists visit the Novartis Leprosy Management & Training Centre. Within a span of five years, the results were spectacular for care and cure activities at all places – Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. NFSD and Novartis India Limited further decided to take on a long term commitment to serve leprosy affected people and registered a non-profit company – �Comprehensive Leprosy Care Project & Medical Aid Association�. Since then, the innovations and services have been continued resolutely. People affected by not only leprosy but also similar loco-motor disabilities have benefited in thousands. Popularly known as CLCP, the Project�s achievements have been appreciated worldwide. In 2006 the name of the Project was changed to �Novartis Comprehensive Leprosy Care Association�.

The Project was initiated in 1989 in a small Taluka of Borsad (Kheda district, Gujarat), which had a population of less than 500,000. In collaboration with the Government of Gujarat, CLCP supported the case findings for leprosy elimination and offered disability prevention, correction and care to those who were already having deformities. The reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation programs were part of the main project itself.

Having covered the entire area in two years with reasonable success, the disability care component was extended to four low endemic districts of Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Sabarkantha and Banaskantha. On gaining more insight in to the requirements for disability care services, the high endemic districts of Panchmahal and Bharuch were taken up subsequently for delivery of disability care services as established by CLCP. 

Considering the Project�s extremely successful record in socio-medical services, in 2001, the Government of Gujarat offered premises for starting a Regional Referral Centre at the ESIS Hospital, Surat, for leprosy disabled cases from the South Gujarat area.

NCLCA extended its vision of reaching the DPMR (Disability Prevention and Medical Rehabilitation) services to other NGOs through training in 2003. Accordingly, Canossa Convent at Talasari, Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa�s Organization) and Ramakrishna Mission etc. have been helped to upgrade their skills in looking after the leprosy disabled.

Another innovative approach has been to initiate an integrated approach so as to include leprosy patients in the general healthcare services and also include similar cases of loco- motor disabilities for help through the Project. In order to promote this integrated approach, a Patient Assistance Centre has been opened at the Grant Medical College and the Sir J. J. Group of Hospitals, Mumbai.

Thus, the basic strategy of reaching patients in every village and providing disability care services through healthcare staff, training the staff and medical personnel in disability prevention and care, as well as improving access by establishing integrated referral centers has been implemented successfully. By and large, working through the camp and workshop approach, even the benefits of reconstructive surgery have been provided to thousands of patients.

4. Execution

The target population for carrying out leprosy awareness activities and selecting the leprosy affected and disabled leprosy patients are the population of the entire district. CLCP was initiated at a time when awareness about leprosy was very low. Ostracization of the leprosy afflicted was a common practice. The endemicity of the disease was high in certain areas and social acceptance was minimal. The Project selected a target area like Borsad as it had nearly one third of the leprosy cases of the entire district. Similarly, on achieving success in a small Taluka, the most successful aspect of disability care and rehabilitation was extended to target the low endemic regions with a lesser number (only a few hundreds) of leprosy disabled cases. Thereafter, in a phased manner, higher targets (over a thousand disabled cases) within endemic districts were selected.

The leprosy disabled are the most disadvantaged in the community. Hence, to ensure a larger reach, the data of cases with leprosy disabilities were collected in collaboration with the government and scrutinized again by health workers to ascertain the disability care and rehabilitation services required. The physical examination was carried out to note the disabilities. The Project generally comprises four phases.

Phase 1.          Preparatory phase

Data collection of the disabled as per WHO grading and analysis. 

Phase 2.          Training

Training in the key modalities of disability care and rehabilitation pioneered by the Project which include: Health education, physiotherapy exercises, prefabricated standardized splints for hands and feet, Grip-aids for hands, self-care kit, MCR footwear, reconstructive surgery and economic rehabilitation.

Phase 3.          Disability Care Service Delivery

The health education and physical aid materials are provided at the DCP (disability care programs) carried out at the Health Centers and through domestic visits by the workers. Reconstructive surgery is undertaken under the camp and workshop approach with interested surgeons being given training. Economic rehabilitation is offered preferably to those who have undergone reconstructive surgery.

Phase 4.          Review

The data of patients given the above mentioned disability care services are collected and analyzed. Those who have not been covered and those with multiple deformities are identified for further services. Follow-up is undertaken as necessary. 

5. Evaluation of Success / Results

NCLCA carries out its activities by reaching out to patients through a camp and workshop approach. For Gujarat from its centre at Surat and for Maharashtra as an integrated center for cure and care at Sir J J Group of Hospitals, DPMR activities are offered to large number of cases affected with leprosy and similar disabilities. Patients from urban slums and nearby rural areas attend the nearest referral centre. Field area camps are organized as outreach services at these centers too. Training is provided to leprosy and general healthcare staff at NCLCA�s headquarters followed by on-the-job training at the field visits. Technology transfer programs are carried out for national and international agencies, theory and orientation at its office and practical sessions at the hospitals. Field-oriented research and development of newer skills offer solutions for problems of the community.

The project is run as a non-profit company and hence no business is generated by offering healthcare services. In fact, all materials for training, service delivery for care, and even for economic rehabilitation of patients is given totally free of cost.

Result: Decreasing the prevalence of leprosy 

The government was persuaded to deliver MDT; the Project defrayed the travel cost of patients and provided incentives to the staff delivering the treatment. All government staff was trained in providing comprehensive care, which includes health education, splints, grip-aids, surgery referral and rehabilitation. Access was improved by increasing the drug delivery points thus helping in treatment delivery and cure to achieve leprosy elimination. The prevalence of leprosy at Borsad Taluka was brought down from 8.9 to 0.72 per 10,000 populations in about 8 years.  

In Goa, the achievement of the objective was more marked with long term involvement and supply of Blister Calendar Packs of MDT. The BCP-MDT was provided free of cost by the Novartis Foundation for nearly 3 years from 1993 to 1996 when the Government of India took over the drug supply. More than 3000 patients were cured with BCP-MDT. Other activities are mentioned below in the summary. Eventually, the Project�s activities helped the leprosy elimination efforts of the State Government, bringing the prevalence of leprosy down from 10 to 3 per 10,000 population. New cases with disabilities decreased by almost 50% during the Project period as compared to the earlier period.

The objective of leprosy elimination or eradication falls short due to the very nature of the disease � for example the long incubation period and unrelenting new case detection. Only the steady and free supply of drug therapy (MDT) can change the scenario and decrease the incidence of leprosy.

In the year 2000, Novartis donated MDT worth 30 million USD throughout the world through WHO to help leprosy elimination. Generally, India contributes nearly 70% cases annually by way of new case detection. Nearly 3% of new cases are still detected with visible disabilities. The existing estimate of about total number of disabled leprosy cases stand at nearly 1 million in India and between 2 to 3 million throughout the world.  Therefore, physical and social rehabilitation are equally important.

Result: Physical and Socio-economic Rehabilitation

At Gujarat, NCLCA has progressively covered the districts of Kheda, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad, Sabarkantha, Banaskantha, Mehsana, Panchmahal, and Bharuch and currently covers Surat, Navsari, Valsad and Dangs. The Surat centre was established in July 2001 in the premises allotted by the Government of Gujarat and serves as a disability care centre and the nucleus for an out-reach program covering remote areas for the surrounding high endemic areas (Districts of Surat, Valsad, Navsari and Dangs). The centre is centrally located and easily accessible within the complex of the ESIS hospital. Patients are usually brought to the centre by the local health team consisting of integrated leprosy workers, medical officers and district officials. The local health ministry provides the transportation and NCLCA covers the cost of fuel and hospitality. All patients are registered at the clinic and the required services are provided. The entire team learns the comprehensive techniques of care and counseling. Efforts are on to include the general healthcare workers in this on-the-job training. Follow-up services are generally provided by the health workers either at the clinic or within the framework of the outreach program. On account of the excellent work in leprosy relief carried out by the Government of Gujarat and the decreasing daily attendance, the main programs are conducted weekly. Providing support to other disabled from the centre is also under consideration to make it a truly integrated centre for care of the disabled. Till now, about 1500 patient examinations comprising those who have complications have been undertaken at the centre or in outreach camps. LRC Surat also provides support to the Missionaries of Charity centre at Surat and Parvatibai Leprosy Hospital, Surat. Nearly 15,000 patients have been covered in collaborative work with the Government of Gujarat. It has helped to substantially reduce the overall disability load in the community.

Enhanced surveys for early case detection and improved access for treatment of leprosy in Goa resulted in 3000 new cases being treated with MDT donated by the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development. Intensive training of 1300 healthcare practitioners in all aspects of comprehensive care increased the referrals and prevented deformities. Public awareness campaigns and health education drives increased the voluntary reporting substantially. Disability care, reconstructive surgery and rehabilitation services have benefited nearly 400 patients.

Nearly 150 patients have received disability care services in the Parbhani district of Maharashtra. The notable part of the program has been the on-the-job training of integrated workers, empowerment of the afflicted in self-care and reconstructive surgery camps. The Honorable Governor of Maharashtra was the Chief Guest at the valedictory function of the reconstructive surgery camp and lauded the efforts of reaching services to a remote area like Parbhani. He also distributed rehabilitation aids to five operated cases and self-care kits to ten ulcer cases. Follow-up of 59 operated cases has shown good results in more than 75 % cases.

Since April 2004, NCLCA has collaborated with the Canossa Convent at Talasari covering 53 villages. Talasari area is considered backwards in development and the majority of the people live in abject poverty. 140 patients were covered during the regular monthly visits. They were provided with 250 splints, 78 self-care kits, 330 tubes of Dermiguard Cream, 25 foot scrapers and 3 foot-drop splints. 40 patients were admitted to J. J. Hospital and 25 of them were operated.  Rehabilitation aid has been given to 18 patients.

The patient assistance program at Mumbai is carried out to help those patients attending the Plastic Surgery Department of the government-run J. J. Hospital. There are other cases with loco-motor disabilities due to nerve injuries who need similar types of splints as used for leprosy patients or appliances which poor patients cannot afford. NCLCA believes in the integrated approach to benefit not only leprosy disabled but also other disabled patients. For example, a case of burns on both hands benefited by Modulan grip-aid being applied on articles of use and a case of tuberculosis with loss of bone in the lower leg benefited through flap cover and bone transport with the distraction apparatus. In the case of another young girl, the shortening of 8 inches in her leg has been corrected through the use of the Ilizarov apparatus by the orthopedic surgeon and she is expected to start walking soon. NCLCA makes such aids and appliances available to poor patients who otherwise would find it difficult to recover from their disabilities. Moreover, all leprosy cases are provided key modalities of care free of cost thereby reducing the burden on poor patients to buy these materials. So far nearly 200 leprosy cases have been provided such services.

At Mother Teresa�s colony at Kolkata, MDT- BCP for 2500 patients, Splints for 300 patients and Modulan Grip-aid for 200 patients were provided. An ulcer care kit was donated. Nine demonstration operations were carried out for Reconstructive Surgery and key persons involved in the disability care (40 technicians) were trained in addition to surgeons. The Missionaries of Charity have 18 centers in India exclusively devoted to leprosy relief. Their sisters were trained in programs conducted at Surat, Nanpong, Asansol, Delhi and Ranchi.  Each training program with audio-visuals was followed by the Disability Care Program (DCP) camp. Nearly 400 cases were examined in the current year and provided requisite services.

For education and training of health staff, NCLCA prepared a set of posters on its system of prevention, correction and care of disabilities in leprosy which were distributed to all centers where it carries out its programs. A sticker for general purpose use made earlier was also reprinted and distributed for public information. In addition, NCLCA published a booklet on �Prevention & Care of Disabilities in Leprosy�. 

Learnings from the Project, which will be useful for similar projects in future.

Diseases like leprosy having social connotations are no longer perceived as incurable by society.

The disablements and/or handicaps are to a large extent preventable with timely treatment. Even if they have occurred there are methods through which they can be tackled.

NCLCA has been consistently achieving good results in its objective of �Improving Access� to cure and care. NCLCA has pioneered a system of prevention, correction, care and rehabilitation of those affected by leprosy. It has successfully reintegrated disabled patients in society through income generation scheme at a low and sustainable cost. NCLCA�s system care and cure has been hailed as a holistic model and it has made a significant qualitative difference to the lives of patients.

 Amount spent on CSR : No information regarding the amount spent on CSR was available on the homepage .

Contact details : Novartis India Ltd

Sandoz House, Shivsagar Estate,

Dr. Annie Besant Rd, Mumbai

Tel:91 022 2498 8888, 91 022 2493 8666

Email: mailto:info@novartisfoundation.org?cc=info@karmayog.org

Web address : http://www.novartisfoundation.org   / http://www.novartis.com