US non-profit to bring relief to 80 hip, knee patients

JULIEN NEAVES

EIGHTY patients who have been waiting on hip and knee replacement surgeries will be receiving them free thanks to a United States non-profit group of medical professionals.

More than 50 members of Operation Walk Maryland (OWM) arrived on Friday at Piarco International Airport and were greeted by officials of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) and a performance by a steelpan player and a tassa band.

OWM’s medical director Dr Paul Khanuja told the media their organisation does free hip and knee replacement surgeries for poor people. It is a team of about 55 health care providers who specialise in these surgeries and includes nurses, surgeons and therapists.

“We hope to at the same time educate and have a nice educational exchange with our local staff here in Trinidad. And looking forward to really improve the lives of some individuals and to also help educate and learn while we’re here.”

He said they have a number of Trinidadians on their team including a few physicians and three anaesthesiologists. They have visited six countries and this is their eighth trip in a ten-year period. Khanuja said they will be supplying “nearly everything” including the implants which is a significant cost and instruments and instrumentation. OWM is funded by donations.

NCRHA chairman Steve De Las said they hope to save approximately $10 million by the venture and the foreign entity will be doing surgeries that have been long overdue for some of the patients. They plan to have 80 surgeries done over a four to five day period at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope though there will be more than 80 in the future.

“What we are treating now is the most difficult cases and we hope that this initiative will be continued in the future so that it is not a one off situation.”

He said there will be mirroring or shadowing of the foreign expertise possibly on a one on one basis to have the technological transfer.

In Parliament last week Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh said hospitals cannot perform enough orthopaedic surgeries because they are “being ripped off” by third party suppliers who are overpricing. Asked about this, De Las responded that he concurs with the minister’s review of the information based on cost and price.

“We could do better and more for less.”

Asked about whose responsibility it was to remedy this problem, De Las said it is a holistic responsibility and there is not one entity and they can save where they can.

Also in attendance was Head of Surgery Dr Ian Ramnarine and senior health systems advisor Stewart Smith. Ramnarine was asked about the backlog of hip and knee replacement surgeries, which is in the hundreds, and he responded it as an issue of prioritising emergencies. He also said these surgeries are more expensive than routine trauma surgeries.

Ramnarine reported that at the EWMSC they did eight of the procedures and the 80 to be done by OWM will be making inroads. He said they also have a plan to attack the waiting list for the procedures.

Ramnarine also said he was grateful to have returning Trinidadian medical professionals giving back as well.

Smith told the media TT has an aging population and will see more of this condition.

“As we get older and live longer it means we will see more of the hips give out and these people if they get a new hip and a new knee can live a fruitful and productive life.”