TIRUPATI: A national-level bone bank will be set up at the Balaji Institute of Surgery, Research and Rehabilitation for the Disabled (BIRRD), said BIRRD honorary director Dr Madanmohan Reddy. Addressing a media conference at the new building of BIRRD here on Friday, he said all development works which have been suspended due to Covid-19 have been revived at the hospital.
He said the bone surgery will be performed twice a month at the BIRRD by experts from Chennai Dr Balamurugan and Dr Rakesh, Arthroscopy specialist from Bengaluru Dr Hemant Kumar and hand and microvascular specialist from Udupi Dr Bhaskar Anand Kumar.
Madanmohan said to provide more specialised services to patients, the BIRRD has initiated steps to set up a bone bank, adding that they are able to perform all operations including knee replacement within 48 hours.Though the number had reduced due to Covid-19, currently, the BIRRD is performing 20-25 surgeries per day and the number is likely to increase further.
Earlier, BIRRD used to send patients to other hospitals for pre-anaesthesia tests. But, now the laboratory at BIRRD has been modernised and a cardiologist and a physician have been appointed. To further strengthen the anaesthesia department, three specialist doctors of assistant professor rank have been appointed. After the decline in Covid-19 cases across the State, the number of outpatients has risen to 450 to 500 per day, he explained.RMO Kishore and Dr Chaitanya were present at the media conference.
Free surgeries for poor
With the initiative taken by TTD Chairman YV Subba Reddy, BPL families are provided free kneecaps and also surgeries are done free of cost. Treatment for polio, paralysis and other disabilities are also provided free of cost at the BIRRD. All kinds of fracture cases are treated under ESI and Aarogyasri schemes.