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Written By: Agencies | Published : October 27, 2013 2:26 PM IST
For Ramesh Powar (name changed), who weighs 130 kg, doctors at the LTMG Sion Hospital were the only hope.
Months after his surgery, 30-year-old Powar lost at least 45 kg and he's still in the process of shedding more weight.
Many like him, who can't afford costly obesity surgeries, are now looking forward to civic and state-run hospitals.
'In the past one year, we did two obesity surgeries. Patients approached us and we conducted the surgery after they agreed to pay for the instruments used for the operation,' said Dr Geeta Ghag, associate professor (surgery department), Sion Hospital.
Powar paid nearly Rs1.5 lakh for the instruments used in the surgery.
Doctors said in a government set-up, the cost can be 60 per cent lower than a private set-up, where charges are anywhere between Rs4 lakh and Rs6 lakh for a bariatric procedure.
KEM hospital had also conducted an obesity surgery 45 days ago.
Dr Avinash Supe, acting medical director of major civic hospitals, said, 'It is just a beginning for the civic hospitals to conduct bariatric surgeries. A lot has changed in the last one decade. Bariatric surgeries are not only helpful in reducing weight but also are very useful in controlling diseases like diabetes and hypertension.'
At JJ hospital, the surgery department started an obesity clinic a year and half ago. So far, the hospital has conducted at least 50 bariatric surgeries. (Read: Bariatric surgery nothing cosmetic about this weight loss procedure)
Source: DNA/Somita Pal
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