SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Dec 19: Eminent ENT specialists of East zone Dr Satyendra Sharma (Patna) and Dr Samit Madhup Lal (Ranchi) was unanimously elected as the president and secretary of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India (AOI) Bihar-Jharkhand chapter during the three-day 46th conference at Shahid Nirmal Mahto Medical Hospital (SNMMCH) Dhanbad.
Dr Sanjeev of Patna was re-elected as the treasurer for the new session while Dr Prakash Kumar of Bokaro was selected as the president-elect for 2024-25.
Dr Satyendra Sharma said that his priority would be increasing the numbers of CME, surgical workshops and regular conferences in medical colleges of Bihar and Jharkhand with a special focus on training Postgraduate students so that faculty (ENT) members could get information about advanced treatment.
“At present, the cochlear implant is done at selected medical colleges in Bihar and Jharkhand. Since it is costly and poor patients have to go to Patna and Ranchi for it, the AOI Bihar-Jharkhand chapter is trying to make facilities (surgery) accessible for them in other districts of both states. So, surgical workshops would be organized at Dumka, Hazaribag, Palamu, Deoghar, Bhagalpur, Darbhanga and other medical colleges so that patients do not require to go out,” said Dr Satyendra Sharma.
Dr Sharma said he had discussed the proposal with the director of Deoghar AIIMS and he agreed to start cochlear implant as soon as possible.
A cochlear implant (operation of deaf and dumb persons by birth) costs Rs 4.50 lakh which poor patients does not afford. But there is a scheme under Prime Minister and chief minister health scheme to give the fund for it. AOI Bihar-Jharkhand would line up ways for the patients to get government scheme help.
“We have also decided to focus on training of PG students for preparing the new generation to take place of experts in near future,” he said.
The organizing committee chairman of 46th AOICON Prof (Dr) AK Thakur and joint secretary Prof (Dr) Ashutosh Kumar said that the Dhanbad conference was successful as directors of over dozen AIIMS and eminent otolaryngologists across the country participated and shared their knowledge and experience. Live surgery workshop was also conducted during the conference for junior doctors and PG students of Bihar-Jharkhand.
