A mega surgery camp at Firozabad

A 10-day ‘Rotaplast’ medical camp was conducted at the Unity Hospital in Firozabad with support from RCs Agra Tajmahal, Firozabad, Agra North and Shikohabad, RID 3110. A team of 21-member foreign mission led by Medical Director Karla Werninghaus and Mission Director Brian Walker including paramedics headed by nurse Maryann Mckenzie and volunteers conducted the corrective surgeries.

“Nearly 99 per cent of the 218 patients who were diagnosed were rural people who don’t have access to proper healthcare. During the camp, 63 surgeries were performed on 55 patients and it included major burns and skin grafting too,” said Rahul Wadhwa, the camp’s chairman. The medical mission included two plastic surgeons (Gary Salomon and Mark Fisher); two anaesthesiologists; two paediatricians; and a six-member paramedics, besides seven Rotary volunteers, mostly from the US.

Expressing his thanks to Unity Hospital Senior Director Dr Ravi Pachauri and his team for providing all facilities for the Rotaplast camp, Wadhwa said, “they provided us three operation theatres, pre-operative and post-operative ICUs with 30 beds including 27-member team of technical assistants, OT and nursing staff.”

Mamta, mother of 12-year-old Khushi, was overjoyed after the burnt face of her daughter was restored to its original look. They have come from a village 50 km from Firozabad and “we are grateful to Rotary for doing this graft surgery free of cost.” The surgery would have cost them ₹5–7 lakh at a private hospital which “we can’t afford at all as we are very poor and living a marginalised life.”

The project was coordinated by DG Arun Jain, Rtn Divya Wadhwa from RC Agra Tajmahal and PDG Laxmi Kant Bansal from RC Firozabad. For months preceding the mega health initiative, the clubs ran publicity campaigns through Facebook and WhatsApp to reach out to the public. Over 100 hoardings and banners were put up at different locations across Agra, Firozabad, Shikohabad and 70 other villages. Screening camps were organised at various places to identify people needing surgery.

District Magistrate Selva Kumari, CMO Firozabad Dr S K Dixit, Rtn D V Sharma and PDG Naresh Sood have been other pillars of support for the camp, said Wadhwa.