Sixth anniversary of Dr. Nakamura’s Death Leprosy treatment resumed in eastern Afghanistan after 15 years
Coinciding with the sixth anniversary of the martyrdom of Dr. Tetsu Nakamura, a Japanese philanthropist who was martyred in Jalalabad on December 4, 2019, his greatest wish has come true. Leprosy treatment has resumed in the east of the country after a 15-year hiatus.
The Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun reported that the “Tetsu Nakamura Leprosy Memorial Center” was officially opened in the city of Jalalabad on November 1 of this year.
The three-story facility, with separate wards for men and women and a capacity of five beds, is run by the Japanese organization Peshawar-kai and a local organization – Peace Japan Medical Services (PMS), founded by Nakamura himself – and currently employs two doctors, three nurses and 19 local staff.
Leprosy treatment, which was the starting point of Dr. Nakamura’s activities in the region, began in Peshawar in 1984 and expanded to the mountainous regions of Afghanistan in the 1990s, but was completely halted in 2010 due to insecurity.
We worked for six years in uncertain conditions, but today we can start treatment again. We move forward with the same determination as Nakamura – to preserve life and keep this light burning,” said Masaru Murakami, General Manager of PMS, at the opening ceremony.
Nakamura’s colleagues, under the slogan “Continue all of Dr. Nakamura’s projects and carry forward all of his hopes,” emphasized that this center will not only save the lives of thousands of patients, but will also keep the late doctor’s humanitarian legacy alive in Afghanistan.
