01867nas a2200253   4500000000100000008004100001260001700042653002800059653002100087653001500108653001100123653001000134653001200144653004100156653001900197653002700216100001700243245014400260300001100404490000700415050003200422520114500454022001401599       2006                            d  c2006 Oct-Dec10aAllied Health Personnel10aDisabled Persons10aFoot Ulcer10aHumans10aIndia10aleprosy10aPhysical and Rehabilitation Medicine10aRehabilitation10aRehabilitation Centers1 aMalaviya G N00aPrevention-of-impairment-and-disabilities activities in leprosy after integration: role for physical medicine and rehabilitation personnel.  a347-570 v78  aInfolep Library - available3 a<p>Referral options for specialist care for prevention of impairment and disabilities are imperative in order to make an integrated leprosy control system work. This requires an understanding of the disease, in addition to the special skills for managing specific disabilities. Physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR) personnel are better equipped to handle leprosy-related disabilities. They are well versed with biomechanical aspects of deformities, and are competent to provide splints, orthoses, etc. to the needy persons, and they can assess sensory motor functions and deformities. If PMR personnel can be trained in deformity correction they can become valuable resource persons for secondary and tertiary care of leprosy-affected persons. PMR persons, therefore, have the opportunity to volunteer themselves for this job to fill the void created by the fading out of leprosy surgeons. They will also have to bear additional responsibility to train general health care workers so as to empower them to look after the needs of those disabled by leprosy, many of whom will continue to be available for a number of years to come.</p>  a0254-9395