Operation Restore brings hope for burns victims

She now has a chance to improve her functional deformities with Operation Restore — a surgical operation on post-burn functional deformities on underprivileged individuals. The project was initiated by the National Burns Centre along with the Rotary Club and an international organisation Operation Smile that has offered financial help. Surgeons from UK and NBC and a physiotherapist from Thailand will perform surgeries on 65 poor patients like Kadam. “Contractures happen when the wound is not covered with skin graft and also due to infection. Surgical options for such deformities cost at least Rs 10,000 in public hospitals and may exceed Rs 40,000 at private ones,” says Dr Sunil Keswani,burns specialist at National Burns Centre,Airoli.

NBC and Rotary Club are currently screening patients for the surgeries lined up from January 9 to January 17. Dr Keswani says,“Most of the patients were injured at home. Of the patients registered so far,only two are men. Poor patients from Vapi,Sholapur and Mumbai are referred for the surgeries. Surgeons,anesthetists,operation theatre nurses will be arriving from the US. They will bring medicines and disposables required for the surgery and will offer their services free of cost to 50 patients.”