Ranchi, Sept. 22: With the number of cases of burn, hand injuries and congenial deformities on the rise, there has been an increasing demand for plastic surgery departments in medical colleges.

The issue was raised during the first conference of Bihar and Jharkhand chapter of Association of Plastic Surgeons of India which was held in Patna last week.

“It is sad that none of the medical colleges in Jharkhand has plastic surgery departments. Demands have been raised time and again by people and doctors, but so far nothing has come out of it,” said Ranchi-based plastic surgeon Ajay Kumar Singh, who is also an office-bearer of the Indian Medical Association, at the conference.

According to him, at present, there are only 52 qualified (MCH) plastic surgeons in Bihar and Jharkhand with the latter having only 10. “If you take Bihar and Jharkhand together, only Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) has a full-fledged plastic surgery department while Nalanda Medical College and Hospital (also in Patna) has a partial unit. Not a single medical college in Jharkhand has a plastic surgery department, which is such an important wing,” Singh said.

The doctor said there were many misconceptions and myths about plastic surgery. “For example people feel that cosmetic surgery is only for beautification. But they do not understand that this provides quality life. People generally mistake ‘cosmetic surgery’ with ‘plastic surgery’ which is not correct. They think plastic surgery is kind of a ‘five star treatment’. But, cosmetic surgery is only part of plastic surgery. But this fact is not understood by the people,” said the doctor.

Nearly 15 years ago, the then Bihar government gave its nod to open a department of plastic surgery at the then Rajendra Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), now RIMS. But the department failed to see light of the day. A burn injury department was opened five years ago there but that was limited to treating burn victims.

Plastic surgery is a specialised science. Medicos are required to go for MCH degree after doing Master of Surgery (MS). It consists of various components like phaciomaxillary, hand surgery, microsurgery, reconstructive surgery, burns, laser surgery, indoscopic surgery and cosmetic surgery.

“Cosmetic surgery is definitly costly, but not the other components. But what heppens is that even those people who have nothing to do with cosmetic surgery hesitate visiting a plastic surgeon assuming that the treatment is beyond their reach. I think people need to be made aware of the fact that many other components are not costly and within their reach,” the doctor said.

Doctors believe that there are people, who want to go in for plastic surgery, but are refused by the doctors. The reason: They lack facilities, infrastructure or updated knowledge of the science. Had there been a full-fledged institute in RIMS and in other medical colleges of the state, this problem would have been solved.

“It seems that the state government is not interested in setting up plastic surgery departments in the state. In case, it opens such istitutes, I am sure, doctos will lend support by rendering honorary services,” said Singh.