GAYA: There is some ray of hope for the victims of physical deformity caused by excessive fluoride content in ground water as the state-level conference of orthopaedic surgeons is being organized in Gaya.

The conference is scheduled to be held at Bodh Gaya between February 13-15 and according to Dr Farsat Hussain, chairman reception committee, and Dr Shree Prakash Singh, organising secretary of the three-day long event, no less than 5 past presidents of the National Orthopaedic Association will be participating in the deliberations on different aspects of bone-related ailments, deformities and mishaps needing surgical intervention and continuing medical education programmes.

Villagers of Bhoopnagar under the Amas block area of the district and several other villages have been victims of physical deformity and early ageing caused by excessive fluoride content in water.

According to Dr Hussain and Dr Singh, though it was basically for the government to play a pro-active role in providing relief to the fluoride-affected population, the medical fraternity will not shy away from its share of responsibility. The doctor duo maintained that mass scale migration and defluouridation of sub-surface water are the main remedies available to the affected population.

Defluouridation is a very costly process and the villagers are reluctant to migrate out of the affected village, thereby complicating the problem.

The medical fraternity’s role is limited to awareness creation and facilitation of relief through intervention in cases where deformities could be rectified. But that too had its own share of problems, said Dr Hussain and Dr Singh. The three-day conference will discuss issues like hip fracture, joint replacement and birth deformities or the club foot phenomenon. Allied issues like post fracture bone gaps, bone infections and knee arthritis will also be discussed and experts will exchange ideas and experiences in their respective fields of specialization.

The event will conclude with discussions on fractures of upper and lower limbs, spinal problems and bone grafting for the creation of new none at bone deficient portions of the body.

The event will also witness the installation of Dr Shree Prakash Singh as the next president of Bihar Chapter of the Orthopaedic Association. A special lecture on bone and spinal tuberculosis has also been planned and Prof SM Tuli of Delhi will deliver the lectures.