The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Nigerian finds cure for osteoarthritis

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Sep 30, 2007
ePaper

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Nigerian finds cure for osteoarthritis

Staff Reporter

Doctors in Italy, UK refuse to perform knee replacement

Cost of the surgery here is one-sixth of that in U.S., U.K.
Lawal is moving with support soon after treatment

VISAKHAPATNAM: Seventy-four Titilo Lawal from Nigeria had no words to express her gratitude to the doctors who treated her for osteoarthritis at a city hospital. She gave up the hope after several trips to hospitals in Nigeria failed to cure her of her severe osteoporosis of both knees.

Advanced age

She has relatives in Italy and the UK. Doctors in Italy had refused to take the risk of performing knee replacement in view of her advanced age and she couldn’t afford the high cost of treatment in the UK, said Ms. Lawal. Luckily for Ms. Lawal, her daughter Shade Lawal had undergone treatment for cervical disc prolapse at the Care Hospital in July this year and gained confidence at their expertise.

Ms. Shade, a banker in Nigeria, quit her job after the problem became acute. Doctors in Nigeria advised physiotherapy but that failed to cure her.

Fast recovery

She browsed the Internet for various options and the relative costs of treatment of her problem and chanced upon Care Hospital. She prepared for a month-long stay in the city but was surprised when she was able to move around in the city within a week after the treatment.

Ms. Shade Lawal returned home and brought her mother for treatment and she was successfully operated upon.

Ms. Titilo Lawal is able to move around with the support of an attendant within a week after treatment. “The cost of the surgery, which is Rs.3 lakhs, is about one-sixth of that in the US and the UK. We use the same implants and have the same expertise,” consultant orthopaedic surgeon P. Satish Kumar, said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail