India is expected to witness a demographic shift in the next decade, with the elderly population (65 +) projected to increase by nearly 40%. This shift will also be experienced in a city like Thane, which means there will be a growing medical need from senior citizens.
Kaushalya Hospital is ready to cope with this change. The preparations began long ago when Dr MV Sohoni (Founder Trustee) predicted something similar. Since 2002, the hospital has had a HEPA filter – Special Joint Replacement OT. With time, upgrades were made, and a Laminar OT with HepA filter was started in 2012.
One of the most prevalent and disabling ailments that is seen among older people is that of “a fracture”. The common fractures are the wrist, vertebrae (spine) and hip.
A fracture is caused due to Osteoporosis, which is defined as the age-related deterioration in the microarchitecture of the bone. Simply put, as humans age, the bones get weak or brittle, so much so that even a minor fall at home, missing a step while climbing down a staircase, results in a hip fracture.
At KMFTH, we treat hundreds of such cases yearly. The pain and debility they cause to the patient is enormous. Most of them are 70+, with a few being over 80. They suffer from medical problems like heart disease, diabetes, renal problems, etc. In addition to this, most of them are not covered by insurance, and hence, the treatment cost must be borne by the patient. A patient with a hip fracture is so disabled that he can’t even sit in bed, let alone walk; he is dependent on others for everything and is in terrible pain. The challenge here is to treat them fast with optimum investigations and get them back on their feet with an early discharge home.