CHENNAI: In what could be one of the first attempts in the country, SIMS, a Chennai-based hospital, in association with an NGO, will conduct a ‘surgery drive’, free of cost for acid attack survivors in India. The surgery drive welcomes 100 patients with burn injuries for a screening process on July 15th, “We plan to do post-burn scar and contracture removal surgery. We will prioritise and select at least 15 patients based on their injuries before the first phase of our drive. After the initial screening process, five patients will be chosen every day for surgery from July 17-19,” said Dr K Shyamnath, surgeon, SIMS Hospital.
The duration of a surgery depends on the injuries of the patient. The patient needs to spend at least five days in the hospital including a day in the operation theatre. “After the first sitting, we will inform the patient he/she needs to come for the follow up,” he added.
Atijeevan Foundation, a Bengaluru-based NGO, is making arrangements to accommodate patients coming from other parts of India. Pragya Prasun Singh, founder, Atijeevan and an acid attack survivor herself, said, “The acid attack patients primarily require air-conditioned accommodation after few days of surgery, which we will arrange. We will also pay for using the equipment while an international pharmaceutical company will sponsor the medicines,” she added. “As the charges are split among SIMS hospital and our organisation, an underprivileged acid-attack survivor can walk-in for her surgery expecting nothing but a renewed future.”
For details, call: 49211455