Nana Patil, a 61-year-old farmer from Mohadi village in Jalgaon district, Maharashtra, was unable to walk for seven years due to excruciating pain in his thigh. The high cost of surgery in private hospitals left him feeling hopeless. However, thanks to free surgery at the new Surat Civil Hospital, Nana Patil can now walk again with the help of a walker.

Ram Patil and Bhavini Patil, social workers from Nana Patil's village, informed him about the free back treatment program at the Surat Civil Hospital. Nana Patil then contacted Iqbal Kadiwala of the Nursing Association, who helped him get admitted to the hospital on March 1st.

A team of doctors led by Dr. Hari Menon, Chairman of the Orthopedic Department, successfully performed a hip replacement surgery on Nana Patil on March 18th. Dr. Swapnil Nagle and Dr. Nitin Choudhary were part of the surgical team.

"The doctors at the Civil Hospital have relieved me of unbearable pain," said Nana Patil. "I depend on farming for my livelihood, but the pain made it impossible for me to work for the past seven years. Private hospitals quoted Rs 2 to 2.5 lakhs for the surgery, which was unaffordable for me."

The Orthopedic Department at the Surat Civil Hospital, under the supervision of Dr. Ganesh Govekar, Superintendent of Navi Civil, performs 20 to 25 hip replacement surgeries every month, at a significantly lower cost compared to private hospitals which charge two to three lakh rupees per surgery. Additionally, the department conducts 15 to 20 successful simple knee replacement surgeries each month.

Dr. Hari Menon, Head of the Orthopedic Department, leads a team of doctors including Dr. Manish Patel, Dr. Sunny Shethna, Dr. Chirag Patel, Dr. Shetty, and Dr. Nagesh. The team performs successful surgeries for various bone ailments, including congenital waist defects and spinal cord injuries.