The actual name of hospital: Rumah Sakit St.Rafael Cancar.
Correspondent name: Pusat Rehabilitasi Kusta & Cacat Santu Damian.
Address: Pusat Rehabilitasi Kusta & Cacat St Damian, Kotak pos 1, Cancar, Ruteng 86551, Flores, NTT.
Present situation of institutions relate to leprosy rehabilitation (2003)
The hospital was erected in 1966 caters for general disease, handicap and leprosy patients. It is located about 17 km from Ruteng the capital of the district. The institution belongs to Santu Damian Foundation of Flores. The usage of name Damian is to appreciate Mr. Damian, Belgium nationality, who was a missionary helping leprosy patients in Molokai island of Hawaii. He was also affected by leprosy with high dedication to help leprosy patients.
Correspondent name: Pusat Rehabilitasi Kusta & Cacat Santu Damian.
Address: Pusat Rehabilitasi Kusta & Cacat St Damian, Kotak pos 1, Cancar, Ruteng 86551, Flores, NTT.
The hospital was erected in 1966 caters for general disease, handicap and leprosy patients. It is located about 17 km from Ruteng the capital of the district. The institution belongs to Santu Damian Foundation of Flores. The usage of name Damian is to appreciate Mr. Damian, Belgium nationality, who was a missionary helping leprosy patients in Molokai island of Hawaii. He was also affected by leprosy with high dedication to help leprosy patients.
For the first function of the hospital established was to cater general diseases such as malaria, TB, warm, poor nutrition and sanitation, which was named St. Rafael Hospital. Sr Virgula SSpS heads the hospital and she was also the pioneer who visited villages to villages to motivate the patients to come to the hospital for health help since 1965. In reality many leprosy patients and disable people come to the hospital. Therefore in the development, the function of the hospital is shifted to Rehabilitation center for handicap and leprosy patients. The hospital collaborates with a team of surgeon from Australia for patients with handicap, and with the doctor from Sitanala for physical rehabilitation for leprosy patients. Number of leprosy patients admitted to the hospital year by year was not well documented.
At present there are 5 ex-leprosy patients with severe deformities staying here, 80 patients (handicap, poor, old people or decrepit). The hospital is equipped with sufficient facilities for disabilities correction such as theater, physiotherapy department, hydrotherapy, occupational therapy, occupational training etc, located at 1.3 hectares of land. There are about 100 beds for non-leprosy and 10 for leprosy patients. There is no leprosy settlement here. Last several years there were no more leprosy patients admitted to the hospital.
According to Sr Margaretha Venino who was explaining about the hospital, the future plan for the hospital is to continue to develop for handicap patients including physical rehabilitation for leprosy patients.
