World Bone and Joint Day is observed on August 4. The theme for 2016 is, ‘Let’s pledge to give’ (back to the society). Keeping this theme in mind, the members of the Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA) plan to perform free bone-and-joint surgeries on patients from August 4 to 6, creating a record for the maximum free surgeries.

Addressing the media today, Dr. S. Rajasekaran, the Director of Coimbatore-based Ganga Hospital, said, “This will be a new record acknowledged by the World Record Academy USA. This endeavour will motivate medical practitioners of all kinds to use their skills to help the people in the society.”

Surgeries will be performed free of cost on patients who cannot afford to pay. At the press conference, it was also announced that a protocol will be adopted. The patient requiring the surgery to be performed must first register themselves. The doctors will then take photographs of the patient before and after the surgery. Post the surgery, a certificate will be issued to the patient stating that the surgery was performed free of cost. The doctor performing the surgery will also save an attested copy from the patient stating that the surgery was performed for free.

With 12,000 members in 22 states all over India, IOA has requested them to carry out free surgeries for the poor and needy during the three days, and had set a target of 10,000 surgeries, he said. However, a minimum of 5,000 to 7,000 surgeries, including knee replacement, worth Rs.15 crores, are expected to be performed, he added.

Rajasekaran told that media that several sub-speciality medical associations and pharmaceutical companies have joined hands with the IOA for the ‘Let’s pledge to give’ mission. He added that the Ganga Hospital has seven specialists who are members of the IOA.

The Tamil Nadu Orthopaedic Association has over 1,500 members, while the Coimbatore Orthopaedic Society has 122. Dr. Rajasekaran was the past president of the IOA.

The World Bone and Joint Day is an initiative of Dr. Rajasekaran. August 4 was declared as World Bone and Joint Day by the Government of India in 2012.

When Covai Post asked him if the west will adopt the ‘Let’s pledge to give’ mission, Dr. Rajashekaran replied, “Thee west is closely monitoring how we execute this mission. If we are successful, the other countries in the world will follow our footsteps.”