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This auto-rickshaw driver helps leprosy patients lead a dignified life

Agencies
October 15, 2017

Kalaburagi, Oct 15: Setting an example of selfless service, an auto-rickshaw driver, Hanmanth Huvanna Devnoor, helps leprosy patients lead a dignified life.

Setting aside eight hours of his day for the patients, Hanmanth has been treating the patients for the last 20 years.
Hanmanth shared his story about how his life changed after his mother got leprosy.

"My mother had leprosy. When my father took her to the doctor, they asked us to not stay with her or eat with her. My parents came home crying. My father in fear of getting affected left me and my mother and went to another village. He never came back. My mother did not have the money, so she begged at the temple to feed me and my sister," said Hanmanth.

"The people of the leprosy colony saw my mother crying and asked her to live with them. No one used to come to stay with these patients, who left their villages and settled here," he added.

It was Hanmanth's mother who inspired him to serve these people.

"Before my mother passed away, she asked me to help and serve these patients. The colony people asked me to work so I took loan and drove auto rickshaw. I keep a part of the money I earn aside for the leprosy patients."

Hanmanth saves a portion of his earnings everyday and provides help to the leprosy patients by dressing their wounds, giving them first aid and also taking them to the government offices to help them in getting benefits of schemes for leprosy patients.

A leprosy patient, Kondabha, who got leprosy in 1972, also entailed how he met Hanmanth.

"Whatever life we are living now, it is because of Hanmanth. As we are not able to work, my wife and children work; Hanmanth also looks after us. It is because of him only that we are living here. Earlier there were small huts, but now we have our homes. And this is because of Hanmanth. We have not got any help from the government."

In 2002, Hanmanth opened the Mahatma Gandhi Leprosy Dispensary Centre in the colony to provide regular dressing to the leprosy patients. He even took basic training from a doctor at the Leprosy Treatment Centre.

India has the world's largest number of persons affected by leprosy.

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coastaldigest.com news network
April 30,2020

Mangaluru, Apr 30: Yet another case of covid-19 reported in the coastal city of Mangaluru today.  

The Dakshina Kannada district administration confirmed that a 58-year-old woman hailing from Boluru area in the city was tested positive for the coronavirus.

The woman was undergoing treatment in First Neuro Hospital at Padil where a woman from Bantwal (identified as P-501), who died of coronavirus had undegone treatment before being shifted to Wenclock. 

With this, total number of positive cases in Dakshina Kannada district has gone up to 22.

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coastaldigest.com web desk
July 23,2020

Mangaluru, July 23: Lavanya Ballal, national co-coordinator for social media department of Indian National Congress, has accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of destroying the nation by misleading the youth.

In an interview with a regional Kannada news paper, the Dakshina Kannada based activist, lamented that instead of using social media for the welfare of the nation, BJP leaders used it to spread lies for their political gains. 

On one hand BJP fooled people through false promises and colourful dialogues, while on the other hand it misled crores of youth by spreading fake news, twisted facts and false information, she said.

Ms Ballal went on to accuse BJP of following the footsteps of the British. “BJP is following all the methods employed by the British invaders to divide the people of India and make them hate each other,” she said.

She said that Congress always used the social media for the benefit of the country. If the new generation realises this fact, the country will once again turn its direction towards development, she asserted.

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coastaldigest.com news network
March 27,2020

Mangaluru, Mar 27: In a shocking development, an infant with no travel history tests positive for the deadly novel coronavirus in Dakshina Kannada, taking the total coronavirus positive cases to six. 

The 10-month-old child, hailing from Sajipanadu Village in Bantwal Taluk was admitted to a hospital at Deralakatte in Mangaluru for treatment on March 23 as it had developed respiratory problems. 

On March 24, the child’s condition worsened and hence his throat swabs was sent for COVID-19 testing. Today, reports of the tests confirmed that the child was infected with COVID-19.

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