SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY

Since childhood, ‘Service to Community’ was instilled in my mind by my parents. Post my Orthopaedic graduation, I was searching for this very opportunity. The question arises – How do I contribute my learnings for the benefit of the society?

I had treated a lot of needy patients in my private practice, but it still felt incomplete. I always thought that I should be doing more, more towards patients who have no ways of achieving high class treatment at a bare minimum cost or no cost. Our government has helped needy patients by starting civil hospitals in rural areas. But do these hospitals provide super specialty care for patients?

The Rotary club of Deonar, a branch of Rotary International, a non-profit organization approached me for the need of an Orthopaedic Surgeon. Dr. Joy Patankar and Dr. Mayuresh Warke, Senior Orthopaedic Surgeons from Joy Hospital Chembur, held Pediatric Musculoskeletal Corrective Surgery Camps in the interior of Maharashtra twice a year. They were assisted by Dr. Pramod Kale as their anaesthetist. I joined them in 2009 and since then have been a part of their team.

These camps in the rural areas are exceedingly difficult to arrange without local support. So, we had to involve local politicians, hospital, and social workers. Till date, we have conducted these camps in Konkan and Marathwada districts. Onecamp was also organised at Gadchiroli, a Naxalite area.

This year, on March 25, the camp was held at Civil Hospital, Nandurbar, a dense tribal area near Dhule. The first visit in February 2023 was held at Nandurbar to look for facilities of the hospital, and to convince local politicians and patients about the camp. In March 2023, a consultation (OPD) camp was held in the civil hospital, where 83 patients were screened, of which 17 patients were selected for deformity corrective surgery. On March 25-26, the surgical camp was held. There were some patients with deformity in both the legs, single leg, or one leg
and one hand. Patients were already admitted a day prior. The team comprised of two orthopaedicians, two anesthetists, some medical students, and rotary volunteers. We left from Mumbai on the night of 24 th and reached Nandurbar on the 25th morning. We started operating on these patients at 11 in the morning and finished our first day of work at 9 at night. On day one, 11 patients were operated. On day two, 7 patients were operated from 9 to 5 pm. Taking into consideration the multiple deformities in patients, 26 surgical procedures were conducted overall in 17 patients.

Rotary club provided this treatment free of cost, where the patient pays nothing for the stay, procedure, and medicines. Food is provided free of cost to the patient and the patient’s relatives. Further follow- ups like stitch and plaster removal are also free of cost. The job of the patient’s relatives is to get the patient to the camp. Two weeks, post the surgical camp, our team revisited for removal of stitches and plaster changes. After six weeks, a follow up was arranged where the plasters are removed, and corrective deformity achievement is assessed. It is an immense pleasure to see the children and their parents’ satisfaction, after the correction has been achieved. The thought that, we as doctors have achieved a change in the lives of these children for their betterment is gratifying. The only thought in the camp, is that even if we can change lives of 2 patients, we will still conduct these camps. These camps keep me humbled, grounded and in check with reality. I plan to take my children to these camps to show the reality of life and teach them to be good human beings.
-HIMANSHU BENDREY