Hospital Dr. Pedro Fontes

by Dora Cypreste

The book "Hospital Dr. Pedro Fontes, former colony of Itanhenga, was conceived and written by the Social Assistants Alda Vieira and Dora Martins Cypreste, when they felt the need to transcribe this important history as a legacy to the population of Espírito Santo, considering the notorious lack of literary collections related to this theme in our state.

It is a work divided into six distinct parts, highlighting the history of Hansen's disease in the world, in Brazil and in the state of Espírito Santo, the creation and operation of the Itanhenga colony, governmental actions for the control of Hansens Disease between the 40's and the 70's, the whole process of restructuring its community area, ending with the blunt testimony of a resident who suffered the phenomenon of stigma for being a carrier of the old leprosy, today called Hansen's disease.

It is an easy-to-understand read, intended for professionals in the health area or related ones, for organized social movements, and also for any other person who is interested in the theme. Its pages carry the credibility of writing, because the authors have delved into the subject through consulted works and in some chapters they relate stories and experiences they have lived, while working for decades in this institution.

Launched in 2014, with resources from the State Secretariat of Culture-ES and today this book can be found in the public library of the State.