Vietnam Leprosarium Moved To Safe Area

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31985, 12 May 1969, Page 14

Vietnam Leprosarium Moved To Safe Area

A leprosarium which New Zealand helped to build at Da Nang in South Vietnam has been snatched from under the guns of the Viet Cong and is being established on another beach in a safer area north of the city. Details of the transfer have just reached the Rev. M. Feist, of the Mission to Lepers, in Auckland. This modem leprosarium was established on the coast a few miles south of Da Nang in 1963. With gifts of palm trees from New Zealand children the more able-bodied patients made it an attractive home. At the time the area was quite safe but the Viet Cong dug in around the Marble Mountains between the leprosarium and the city of Da Nang. The American marines, who were established on the other side of the leprosarium have not been able to dig them out.

Last year the Rev. G. Smith, the American missionary in charge of the leprosarium under what was now called the United World Mission, was promised an alternative site. Arrangements were made with the American forces to evacuate the leprosarium across the bay and establish a new institution.

With two special gifts the missionaries bought a launch and when evacuation day

came the marines gave the missionaries and their patients all the protection they could. A full battalion, with seven heavy tanks, surrounded the institution, and a helicopter hovered overhead.

Ten amphibious tanks were provided to haul to the beach all the materials which could be salvaged. The able-bodied patients stripped from the building almost everything movable. And some of the buildings themselves were dismantled. The others were bulldozed flat to stop the Viet Cong using them. The Mission to Lepers has made a grant of $4OOO towards rebuilding the home. Though the casualties among the patients were not numerous, a number were wounded. One was blown up by a landmine in the road while bringing in supplies. When supplies were brought along the beach a truck was attacked by an American helicopter by mistake.

Viet Cong put up boobytrapped flags on palms and trees in the grounds and at times fighting raged through the leprosarium. The missionaries were not allowed to visit the leprosarium but serious cases were carried past the Marble Mountains to where a temporary clinic was established.