Gangavathi taluk hosp does first knee & hip replacement

In a first for a taluk hospital in the state, general hospital Gangavathi in Koppal has conducted a total knee transplant and a hip transplant.

The surgeries were conducted on patients aged over 60 under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka scheme by doctors at the taluk hospital. Both the patients were from the below poverty line

Dr Eshwar Savadi, chief medical officer of the hospital told DH that even the process of getting approvals to perform such surgeries is a challenge. “For a Taluk-level hospital, it is a huge challenge. Such surgeries should be conducted in completely sterile and hygienic conditions. We cannot take any risk as it involves implanting an artificial knee to a patient,” he said.

He said that out of the 167 taluk hospitals, only Gangavathi hospital had approvals to conduct the surgery.

“Since we are doing it for the first time, we invited Dr Shivaraj from Kalaburagi for guidance. The local patients can now avail care at doorstep,” he said. Under the scheme, the hospital is provided Rs 50,000 for the knee transplant. However, the cost of the implant itself is Rs 53,000.