The Zimmer Mobile Van Creates a Stir in Chennai

Online, March 10, 2011 (Newswire.com) - It is hard to stay active and live life to the fullest if you suffer from creaking joints and aching muscles. Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases in India. The high frequency of osteoarthritis in the country is due to its prevalence among women who fall victim to it quite often. But with the advanced medical technology available today, it is possible for arthritis patients to live a normal, active life.

This Women's Day the Zimmer Mobile Learning Centre will continue with its mission to create awareness about arthritis, especially among women, in the city of Chennai. Besides covering Madras Medical College (MMC) and Railway Hospital, the Zimmer Mobile Learning Centre will be parked at the Presidency Club on 8 March where participants will learn more about treatment options for osteoarthritis and will be able to see firsthand how innovative treatment procedures and products can improve the quality of life. The mobile van will also be holding training sessions for orthosurgeons and paramedics at Royepettai Medical College and Kilpauk Medical College on 9 March.

At the patient awareness forum held in the hospitals, several questions regarding arthritis and joint replacements were asked such as What are the symptoms of arthritis? How to prevent arthritis? What causes arthritis? How effective are joint replacements and the costs involved? What should be the calcium intake?

The mission of the Zimmer Mobile Learning Centre is to provide orthosurgeons and paramedics with state-of-the-art training in caring for patients in need of basic orthopaedic surgeries related to arthroplasty as well as trauma procedures.

After reaching the Capital city on 6 March, the fully-equipped mobile van was first parked in Parvathy Orthopaedic Hospital and then at Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute. While appreciating the concept of the Mobile Learning Centre, Dr S Muthu Kumar, Managing Director, Parvathy Orthopaedic Hospital, said, "The educational aspect of the mobile van is excellent as it offers cutting-edge technology in a highly interactive environment. The several hands-on sessions enable paramedics, doctors to explore new technologies and to use the latest surgical techniques and implants on saw-bone models."

Earlier, in Tirupathi, Dr Vidyasagar, HoD, Orthopaedics Department, SVRR Government Hospital, said, "The Zimmer Mobile Learning Centre is an asset for all resident doctors and PGs."

The journey of the mobile van was flagged off in Delhi on 17 September, 2010. Having trained over 2000 orthosurgeons and paramedical staff, the van has so far covered 17 states, including UP, West Bengal, Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Jammu, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and major orthopaedic conferences in Kolkata, Goa, Kanha and Jaipur.

Sanjay Lohani, Marketing Director, Zimmer, said, "So far the response has been overwhelming and much appreciated, and we are hopeful that the van will continue to record the same kind of enthusiasm."

The van is part of the Zimmer Institute's initiative to offer quality educational opportunities to orthopedic surgeons at different levels of learning, with sensitivity towards learner needs, language and culture. Zimmer is a global leader in restoring mobility to people suffering from knee, hip, shoulder and back pain through its first-rate orthopedic products and solutions. This initiative is not just restricted to select hospitals in certain cities but would also extend and involve Resident Welfare Associations, clubs, parks and seminar

venues where experts deliver talks on arthritis.

Sanjay Banerjee, Managing Director, Zimmer India Pvt ltd, said, "This initiative is yet another contribution by Zimmer in its role as responsible corporate citizen towards capacity building in form of trained surgeons and paramedical personnel enabling them to serve orthopedic patients better. For this target group which otherwise may be constrained by time away from workplace for attending such programmes, it shall provide a cost-effective access to high quality learning opportunities and updated training curriculum."

The van has a mock operation theatre setup, a full array of display products including gender knee for women, real-time instruments and sawbones, audio-visual aids, pull-down workstations, backlit display frames and seating. Besides educating orthopedic surgeons and paramedical personnel, the van also conducts community seminars and increase awareness among the general public. Dr. Sajan Hegde and Dr, Suryanarayan explained ways to stay away from arthritis, osteoporosis and other bone related problems at the presidency club on 8th March, Women's Day. Around 60 women attended the seminar.

The van has on display Zimmer's state of the art solutions for knee replacements such as the high flex knee system that allows higher degree of bending, and the Gender Knee - the world's first and only knee replacement shaped to fit a woman's anatomy.

The Zimmer Mobile Learning Centre will next go to Vellore on 10 March before heading for Coimbatore. The van will also visit Madurai, Cochin, Trivandrum, Mangalore, Bangalore, Hyderabad among other places.

For Further Information Please Contact:

Vrinda Mathur

Channel PR

E-Mail: [email protected]

Mob: +91-9971186136