Taking plastic surgery to the poor

Vijaya K - Bangalore

Dr Gurumurthy

The modest, dedicated and upright Professor and head of the department of plastic surgery in the state-government-run Victoria Hospital in Bangalore, has played a pivotal role in the success of the plastic surgery department at the hospital. Dr Gurumurthy who did his MS in General Surgery from Bangalore Medical College in 1976, got accidental posting in Victoria hospital and was posted to Casualty. Being a surgeon, he requested for responsibility in a surgical speciality and was given the department of plastic surgery.

Currently the President of Association of Plastic Surgeons of India- Karnataka Chapter, Dr Gurumurthy rues the dearth in plastic surgeons in the State. According to him, there are just about 40 plastic surgeons in Bangalore city, about 5-10 in Mangalore and about three in Hubli and in other cities there is one or no plastic surgeons.

The 70-member association in Karnataka conducts regular training programmes and annual conferences. This year the Association is conducting a conference for the whole South zone including Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. When asked about the Association’s initiatives for bringing in standards in the practice of plastic surgery, Dr Gurumurthy says, “Today it is not possible to control anybody by imposing regulations. It is only the market force that can maintain higher quality of service.”

Plastic surgery has two components- cosmetic surgery and reconstructive surgery. However, there is a wrong conception among people that plastic surgery is nothing but cosmetic surgery. “Even government feels that plastic surgery is just cosmetic surgery and that is why the speciality is given low priority,” points out Dr Gurumurthy.

Plastic surgery has grown over the years. “In 1970s we hardly had about three to four surgeons but now the number is considerably increased. But the number is not adequate to meet the needs,” he avers.

There is dearth of plastic surgeons in the state and there is not even posts created in plastic surgery post in some of the medical colleges. Dr Gurumurthy emphasises on the need for standardising training for which we need adequate teaching personnel and basic infrastructure. He also stresses on adequate support form the government by way of recruiting at least five qualified lecturers in the colleges. According to him, basic training is adequate to treat a patient.

Backed by the expertise of Dr Gurumurthy and a team of doctors, Victoria hospital today caters to all sorts of people specially the poor. “We will see that even the poorest man is not deprived of any kind of services in plastic surgery,” says Dr Gurumuthy. With an inflow of about an average of 30-40 out-patients, the hospital performs about 1400 surgeries annually.

With a vision to achieve success in eliminating congenital deformities like cleft lip and palate, Dr Gurumurthy opines that in future surgeons may concentrate on single speciality. “But concentration on single speciality in training institutes is a very dangerous trend,” he opines.

According to him, plastic surgery is one speciality that does not need much technology. It basically requires skills and the challenge for a plastic surgeon is to be more competent and more refined.