Students honoured for creating awareness

CHENNAI: The Indian Development Foundation (Formerly Indian Leprosy Foundation), here on Wednesday honoured school students and schools for contributing their time and energy in creating an awareness and raising funds for awareness on leprosy and tuberculosis (TB).According to S Sreeram, Assistant Manager- TN and Puducherry, Indian Development Foundation (IDF), an NGO which is committed to health, education and development, local communities can fund the development  of their own society, instead of relying on foreign aid. “Last year,  we raised `80 lakh and with this money, we  are supporting 100 different  organisations who are working for the cause of leprosy and TB, across the country,” he saidJ Ravichandran, CEO, German Leprosy and TB Relief Association, appreciated the efforts of schools that have played a major role in the health awareness campaign. Eighty eight schools and 536 students from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry were honoured during the event.Pius Kalathil, Director, Gremaltes Hospital, said, “It is time we integrate the healthcare services for leprosy in the public and private sectors since such patients need continuous care for ulcers even after being cured.” At the event, IDF grants  were also disbursed for leprosy and TB projects and hospitals in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The Mother Teresa Memorial Award was given to St Francis Anglo Indian Girls High School, Coimbatore.  The IDF Karmayogi Award was awarded to Dr Y G Parthasarathy, Dean and Director of Padma Seshadri Group of Schools.