LEPROSY HOSPITAL IN HENDALA, ONE OF THE OLDEST IN ASIA

There are two leprosy hospitals in Sri Lanka, situated in Hendala and Maanthivu island (close to Batticaloa). The latter has only one inmate. It is said that a Dutch captain who had leprosy travelled to the present hospital premises which was a shrub-land at the time and settled there secretly. He was brought food from the other bank and relatives built a small structure there for him.

The Dutch VOC hospital opened in 1701 and construction of the buildings was completed in 1708. The inauguration symbol still can be seen there. Since its inception, many leprosy patients were admitted here. The hospital itself is considered an archaeological site and is 309yearsold. The leprosy hospital has the oldest washing machine which was made in England and brought to Sri Lanka in 1938. Most buildings in the hospital premises are in ruins and renovation does not take place since it was declared an archaeological site in 2015. Nobody has the permission to renovate the site except the Archaeological Department.

PRESENT CONDITION

The Hendala Leprosy hospital is home to 29 leprosy patients living in four wards. They cannot transmit the disease, yet their deformities are clearly visible. They have been neglected by their families. Some of them who are skilled in craft-making are helped by the hospital. A 40- member staff is engaged in looking after the patients along with three doctors. In the past, they had 32 acres of land but this has now been reduced to seven and a half acres. The hospital is maintained by the Health Ministry and warmly welcomes helpless patients who have nowhere else to turn.