15 dists to offer free knee replacement surgeries

Free knee replacement surgery will be made available in 15 district hospitals in the state.

“The facility will be offered to those who cannot afford to come to Bengaluru for treatment. They will get these facilities close to their places,’’ said Dr H S Chandrasekhar, director of Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Trauma Care and Orthopaedics.

He said upgrading district hospitals will include buying more instruments for surgeries and training surgeons in district Hospitals.

The surgeons will be trained at Sanjay Gandhi Institute and will be sent back to hospitals.

The programme will be done in three phases; the orthopaedic surgeons of district hospitals will undergo training from October 1, the operation theatres will be upgraded by the end of December, by January until March 2018, equipment will be provided to hospitals and by March, surgeries will take place.

Patients who come under general health protection can avail the facilities.

Dr Chandrasekhar said that earlier, Sanjay Gandhi Institute had performed orthopaedic surgeries free of cost for poor patients. Expansion of services to district hospitals will ensure the service is provided to the poor and the needy, he added.

The decision was made during the general council meeting of Sanjay Gandhi Institute.

Sanjay Gandhi Institute has completed at least 59 free knee replacement surgeries. The institute will schedule around 25 to 30 surgeries a month. For the expansion of such services, the operation theatres in the district hospitals should be upgraded, modernised and necessary equipment should be provided.