Arthritis rates surging, says top doc

SNS, Siliguri, 1 Aug 2014: Arthritis rates have been surging in north Bengal and Sikkim over the past several years as the environment in the region is conducive to the disease and there is very little awareness among the people about the ways to prevent and cure it.

Dr Madan Mohan Reddy, chief orthopaedic surgeon, Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, who announced this at a press meet here today, said that the cold and wet conditions in the region aggravated the symptoms of arthritis. “Chilly temperatures and soggy weather may not be the causes of arthritis but they definitely make the disease worse. Besides, the condition of many patients deteriorates because of a lack of knowledge among the people here about the treatment of the disease,” he said.

The renowned joint replacement and arthroscopy surgeon, who examined over 40 patients at the Sri Krishna Health Care Services (SKHCS) in Siliguri today, said that top experts and specialists from various medical disciplines of the Apollo Hospitals would visit SKHCS every month and examine patients there, as part of a recently entered partnership between Apollo and Sri Krishna.

Dr Reddy said an Apollo Hospitals Information Centre had already been set up at Sri Krishna to assist patients in north Bengal to get top class treatment at the Apollo Hospitals in Chennai. 

“The residents of north Bengal will not only get the unique opportunity of consulting top doctors from our hospital in Siliguri but also all necessary information and assistance for treatment at the hospital. They will also be able to avail of the Telemedicine facilities of our hospital and those visiting Chennai for consultations or surgeries at the Apollo will be provided free pick-up facilities by the hospital management there. Besides, there will be four interpreters at Apollo to assist patients from the north-eastern India who do not follow English or South Indian languages,” he said.

According to Dr Reddy, the main objective of the tie-up between Apollo and Sri Krishna was to bring the best medical advice to the doorsteps of the people in the region and save their precious time, money and energy which they would have to spend on visiting Apollo and seeking the advice of top specialists there.

 “Our main aim is to help patients in north Bengal to get the best treatment and to keep them updated about the latest developments  at the Apollo. I would definitely inform my patients here about the immense benefits of the ‘I Assist Navigation’ with ‘Attune’ system for total knee replacement,” said the senior consultant from Apollo.