A non-profit that has performed over 400 spine surgeries over the last 16 years held a programme at a city auditorium on Sunday where doctors and some of those who underwent surgeries came together.
The Spine Research Foundation, the non-profit, funds spine surgeries for people whose families cannot afford them. While the wait at a government hospital could be unacceptably long, the cost of getting the operation done at a private healthcare institute is often out of their reach.
The foundation has spine surgeons and other doctors among its members.
Nineteen-year-old Inna Quaiser from Darjeeling has undergone 14 surgeries. The first was performed when she was two days old and the second when she was 20 days.
Inna, with an ever-smiling face, will appear for her Class X board exams this year.
"Her father runs a small garment shop in Darjeeling. When one surgery costs lakhs of rupees, how can a family afford 14 surgeries?" asked Trinanjan Sarangi, a trustee of the foundation.
"If everything goes well, she will not need another surgery. We performed the last surgery on her in 2022. She has been doing well since."
All the surgeries were funded and done by the foundation.
Saumyajit Basu, a founder member of the Spine Research Foundation, said some are born with spine deformities while others develop deformities later in life.
"In children, scoliosis (a common spine deformity) can be congenital, neuromuscular or idiopathic, where the reason cannot be ascertained. In adults, the deformities are caused by age-related wear and tear or idiopathic," said Basu, a neurosurgeon.
Scoliosis is a sideways curvature of the spine.
"Not everyone needs surgery. But if the disease progresses, surgery can straighten out the spine or stop the progress. It helps patients lead a normal or functional life," said Basu.
Arijit Halder, a third-year BCom student at Calcutta University, bent left because of a spinal deformity. The deterioration was gradual and it impacted his daily functioning, breathing and even digestion.
"I underwent surgery four months back and have been doing well since," said Halder, a Kalighat resident who aspires to become a professor.
A member of the foundation said philanthropic donations are one of the ways through which the foundation raises funds. "When we perform surgeries on doctors, we don't charge any fee. In return, we urge them to contribute to our fund so we can continue with the foundation's work," said Sarangi.
When the foundation began 16 years back, it could barely perform one or two surgeries in a year. In 2024, over 60 surgeries were performed.