BIRRD in nation’s top 5: Canada doctor

Tirupati: A three-day workshop on paediatric orthopaedic surgeries began at TTD’s Balaji Institute of Surgery, Rehabilitation and Research for the Disabled (BIRRD) here on Monday. The workshop was aimed at providing surgeries to children with various orthopaedic diseases.

A team from British Columbia Children’s Hospital from Canada led by Dr Kishore Mulpuri would perform surgeries along with doctors from BIRRD. “The methods being adopted in Canada in paediatric ortho surgeries will be taught here and we would learn the practices from BIRRD,” said Dr Kishore Mulpuri.

Speaking to The Hans India, he said, BIRRD authorities regularly sends data to them on the details of surgeries being undertaken here and we would compare the data with the situation there. “If we are using any new methods in surgeries, the doctors here would observe and learn those practices. It would be extremely useful in adopting new techniques. We have been visiting BIRRD regularly and learning from them.

Now, we expect doctors from BIRRD to visit Canada to get something new from there. This two-way exchange would really benefit both sides,” he observed. He added that on Wednesday morning there will be a lively session with children with disabilities would decorate wards, draw paintings and some people would come and donate iPads to them which would be very interesting.

He lauded the efforts of BIRRD where several complicated surgeries were undertaken. As far as research is concerned, the BIRRD stands among top five hospitals in the country which are in a prestigious group for which he was the Research Director. He expressed his wish to see BIRRD should get international reputation.

Speaking on the occasion, BIRRD Director Dr G Jagadish said “Still we could not identify congenital hip dislocation till they grow and able to walk. But, with proper screening it can be easily diagnosed at the time of birth itself. Though Polio was eradicated in the country, still, who became victims of Polio disease some 20-30 years back could not find proper place to cure the disease.

He recalled that the Institute was established in 1985 with the help of TTD and performed 1.25 lakh surgeries on patients, who were suffering from polio, cerebral palsy, congenital hip dislocation, club foot, born without hands or legs and metabolic bone disease etc.

In the present workshop, children, who have been suffering from congenital hip dislocation will be operated and their problem would be rectified by the expert team of Dr Kishore Mulpuri from Canada.

Normally, this type of surgery would cost Rs 1-1.5 lakh in corporate hospital which would be done free of cost here to the patients, who have come from poor families across the state, he said. Dr Salima, Dr Maria, Dr Sahu and others took part.