Mumbai: Now, get supra major surgeries done at six peripheral hospitals

Jijabai Pawar, 60, who underwent a complete knee replacement surgery at Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital on October 12

With BMC's initiative to start Diplomate of National Board (DNB) courses in six peripheral hospitals, some of these hospitals, for the first time, have carried out supra major surgeries which would otherwise be done only at civic-run tertiary centres or medical colleges.

In the past one month, complicated surgeries viz. oral mucosa cancer, knee and hip replacement, spine surgeries and complex gynaecological surgeries have been done at most of the six peripheral hospitals free of cost under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana. The treatment can also be availed by those who do not fall under the ambit of the scheme by paying a nominal charge for hospital admission, operation theatre (OT) charges and actual cost of any implant, which is much cheaper than private hospitals or nursing homes.

This has become possible with hiring of experienced and qualified faculty for DNB courses as full-time consultants at Rajawadi Hospital, Bhabha Hospital in Kurla and Bandra, VN Desai hospital, Bharat Ratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital (Shatabdi Hospital) in Kandivli, and Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital in Govandi. The DNB accreditation process is underway and postgraduate DNB courses are likely to commence in the next academic year.

At Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Hospital, previously known as Shatabdi Hospital, a total knee replacement was done for the first time on October 12 on Jijabai Pawar, 60, a resident of Thane. The hospital also carried out three hip replacement surgeries and 10 spine surgeries in the past month, since Professor and Head of the Department (Orthopaedics) Dr Virendra Agarwal and Dr Kaustubh Sawant, who specialises in Arthroscopy and sports medicine, were hired as full-time consultants to teach DNB students.

On October 14, the gynaecology team at the hospital also conducted a unique conservative surgery on a 36-year-old woman, who had a genital prolapse, free of cost. Dr Siddhi Kore, professor and head of the department of gynaecology at Shatabdi, said, "On Thursday, our team including Dr Jayanth Thilkund, gynaecology medical officer conducted a unique conservative surgery on a woman from Govandi, to save her uterus."

Dr Alka Mane, chief medical officer of the hospital, said, "This is the first time in the history of the hospital that supra major surgeries are being performed. Even gynaecological surgeries, which were done in bigger setups and at civic-run medical colleges earlier, are now being done at our hospital."

"With teaching faculty for DNB courses joining our hospitals, we are getting highly qualified and experienced hands. Once our hospital gets DNB accreditation, we will be able to provide quality medical care," said Dr Mane. When asked if the existing operation theatre (OT) was sufficient, Dr Virendra Agarwal, Professor and Head of the Department (Orthopaedic) at the hospital, said, "Dr Mane and BMC have been proactive and assisted in making required modifications in the existing OTs and even procured plant and machinery needed. We will soon be able to cater to and handle all cases related to orthopaedic and spinal cases."

Dr Vidya Thakur, chief medical superintendent, peripheral hospitals, said, "The six peripheral hospitals shortlisted for DNB courses have already filled in full-time consultants as teaching faculty. Opportunities have also been given to postgraduate doctors working with BMC hospitals who are interested in teaching."

"At Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar, the team has recently performed oral mucosa cancer surgery to spine, hip and knee replacement surgery including complicated gynaecological procedures," said Thakur. Dr Mohan Joshi, dean of Sion hospital, who is the brain behind starting DNB courses in peripheral hospitals, said, "We have already started supra major surgeries at peripheral hospitals. With BMC appointing around 186 consultants as teaching facultiy, the doctors and their teams are able to perform supra major surgeries here."

"Civic chief Iqbal Chahal and additional commissioner Suresh Kakani have been very supportive. With peripheral hospitals taking care of supra major surgeries, the patient load from civic-run hospitals has dipped while better quality medical care is available," said Dr Joshi.