Berhampur: The state-run-MKCG Medical College and Hospital here opened a pain clinic to cater to patients with acute and chronic pain. Suchitra Dash, principal-cum superintendent of the medical college and hospital inaugurated the special clinic at the outpatient department (OPD) of the hospital, which will run Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
It is the first such clinic in the government hospitals in the state, sources said.
Patients of all age groups with acute pain inflicted due to various reasons such as cancer or problems of musculoskeletal, joints, spine and bones will be treated in the new facility.
Chronic pain is no longer limited to the elderly or persons with severe illness. It also affects people of all age groups due to sedentary lifestyles, lack of physical exercise etc, said Dash.
“We hope the pain clinic will help the people with chronic pain,” she said.
She said they would try to run the clinic in a full-fledged manner with installation of the modern equipment to treat the patients.
Presently the clinic has the basic equipment to manage it. The patients suffering from pain will be treated as per the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), said Khageswar Raut, head of the department, anaesthesia department.
“We deal with pain in a holistic manner and focus on diagnosing the cause of pain, followed by treatment with medicines and exercises,” said Jagdeep Nayak, assistant professor of the anaesthesia department.
Doctors from various departments were present at the inauguration of the new clinic set up in the hospital.>