This newsletter is published as a periodical by the Orthopaedic Surgeons working in and around Chittagong. We are always thinking about the betterment of the discipline of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology and hoping for its prosperous journey in the new millennium. The year 2001 is a year of our great achievement as the Orthopaedic Speciality in the country reaches its silver jublee. This issue of the CORR newsletter is dedicated to this prestigious milestone.

Dr. R.J.Garst and his wife Mrs. Marie Garst arrived in Bangladesh in early February 1972 on invitation of the Government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.

The glorious War of Independence had just ended. By this time the hospitals throughout the country were filled with the victims of liberation war and the wounded freedom fighters. Seeing the untold misery of the victims Dr. & Mrs. Garst, shredded with emotions and tears, got down to solve this enormous problem. They met the then Minister, the Secretary and other high officials of the Ministry of Health who requested him to start one Orthopaedic Hospital and a central Limb & Brace Center in the country to take care of all the liberation war-related victims. Dr. Garst immediately started his run of soliciting for funds and explained the needs of the new nation to the friendly countries. Responding to his call, many foreign countries and a good number of organizations came forward with generous gestures. Within one month he was able to convert the Shahid Suhrawardy Hospital out-patient department into a Hospital with well equipped OT facilities. There were only hundred beds which were barely sufficient to cope with the rush of patients. At the end of the second month the number of beds was raised to one hundred and fifty. Still no vacancy for new patients could be made. Dr. Garst started to survey the Cantonment Hospitals & District Hospitals around the country to find out the condition of the injured patients and arranged treatment facility for them in this hospital.

Dr. T.Hussain the then Secretary of Health and Family Planning of Govt. of Bangladesh addressed Dr. Garst and said to him, "Mr. Garst, you equip and start a full-fledged Orthopaedic Hospital and Limb Center and run them for one year, the Govt. of Bangladesh will be able to carry it on with the project then.". This was a tremendous inspiration to him and his dedicated team.

Within eight months the majority of the war victims completed their treatment and now the door of the hospital opened to the general patients of the country with orthopaedic and trauma problems. This time another one hundred beds were added for women & children on the converted roof of the Hospital building. Within one year an artificial limb and brace center started functioning and many artificial limbs were supplied to the victims of the war of independence and freedom fighters. On the 1st of July 1973 the major running expenses of the Hospital was taken over by the Govt. of the Peoples Republic of Bangladeh, now a two hundred and fifty bedded Hospital.

It became apparent that to that to meet the greatest need of the country in the treatment of the physically handicapped, the establishment of a standalone Orthopaedic and Traumatology Hospital with adequately trained doctors and specialist was the necessity. Meanwhile with full co-operation of senior surgeons in the country and the Ministry of Health a plan was prepared to meet up all the requirements by the Overseas Development Ministry of England. The plan was passed by the authority in due time. Subsequently the overseas orthopaedic Surgeons started to arrive in the country under the auspices of the Overseas Development Ministry of England and a voluntary basis from the USA sponsored by the CARE Medico who had been working previously for varying periods in teaching programs. Several Orthopaedic Surgeons of different parts of the world started visiting the Hospital and its management. All of these measures made the total program a unique one.

Dr. Garst agreed to continue with the project in the country provided the post graduate course be started under the University of Dhaka and the first post graduate course such as MS & Diploma in Orthopaedic Surgery and BSc(Physiotherapy) began in July 1973. By 1976 nine doctors (five MS and fourD.Orth) had completed their orthopaedic courses and thus a new group of specialist in the subject started their career. Twelve Physiotherapists and three Occupational Therapists graduated with BSc degree. Twelve graduate nurses completed one year training in Orthopaedic nursing. Twenty six young men had been trained in a three year course of artificial limb and brace making. Thus the year 1976 was the year of grand achievement of Orthopaedic Surgery in Bangladesh so far.

By this time the capacity had reached three hundred and seventy five by the addition of seventy fife beds in the casualty ward. The overcrowding of hospital beds and the overall programmed activities were running in a two-storied outpatient department building including its roof. Admission of women and children patients necessitated further spatial expansion and compelled everybody to think of a regular Hospital. In 1974 the NEC of Bangladesh approved the plans of RIHD and Dr. R.J.Garst was honored with the post of Project Director of the proposed hospital complex to be established at Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka the new capital of Bangladesh. Initially this complex was named Shaheed Suhrawardy Hospital Complex and Dr. Garst was honored with a salary of Taka one, equivalent to 7 cents!

Mr. George Domez from Phoenix, Arizona and a missionary in India, who was an eminent and highly skilled architect with experience in construction in the east was called on to plan the new Hospital.

He had to follow the existing architectural style of Late Mr. Louis Kahn from Phiadelphia, Pennsylvania, the designer of the second capital of the then East Pakistan as the hospital was located in the area. Mr. Domez along with an architect of Bangladesh Mr. M.A.Basher designed this beautiful, economical and functional new hospital building.

(to be continued in the next issue)

• Routine and emergency operations done in orthopaedic unit of Chittagong Medical College Hospital during the period Jan - Dec 2000.
• Patient profile : Admitted in the Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, CMCH (1st Jan-30th Jul. 2000)
• Disease profile: Admitted in the Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery, CMCH (1st Jan-30th Jul. 2000)

" Patient-Disease" profile prepared by Dr. Anwar Hossain, Dr. Aminul Islam, Dr. Nasirul Islam, Dr.     Habibur Rahman.

 The section also demonstrates in tabulation form the existing curriculum of Orthopaedic Surgery for the students of MBBS course in Medical Colleges in Bangladesh.

(Due to the difficulty in reproducing the tabulations in this section; they were omitted-Webmaster )

The new committee of BANGLADESH ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY has been elected in an enthusiastic mood held at RIHD, Dhaka earlier in the year and the new "2001-2003" Committee led by Prof. Qazi Shahidul Alam as President, Dr. Md.Siraj-ul-Islam as General Secretary. The President, the Secretary and all other Committee members are welcomed by us. Wish a better future of BOS!

By this time our society members are acquainted with the newsletter published by BANGLADESH ORTHOPAEDIC SOCIETY, No-1, July-2001. We very much appreciate the mission and are sure that every member of the society will follow suit and will look forward to its carry on in future, too. This will undeniably facilitate the advancement of orthopaedic surgery in Bangladesh and thus the Orthopaedic Surgeons of the country will benefit in every respect.

WEEKLY CLINICAL SEMINARS OF THE DEPT. OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY, CHITTAGONG MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL (CASES OF CLINICAL INTEREST ARE MENTIONED ONLY) JUNE-AUGUST 2001

1. Malignant tumour of Rt Humerus in 50 yrs old female with pathological fracture.
2. Comminuted intercondylar tibial fracture treated with DCS.
3. Typical thoracic outlet obstruction due to rudimentry rib.
4. Crush syndrome of Rt upper limb with multiple fixation in a child.
5. Inj. Cortisone induced rupture of tendoachillis in a 50 yrs old male.
6. Cystic lesion in clavicle diagnosed as a myxomma in a young female.
7. Extensive Myositis after maltreatment in a 2 month old baby.
8. Malunion of Neck femur and lateral displacement of Patella in a 12 yrs old boy due to maltreatment of fracture and dislocation respectively.
9. Anklosing Spondylosis with ankylosis of both hips in a young male.
10. Catamine anaesthesia in trauma patient management in children.
11. Management of acute compartment syndrome (journal club).
12. Post polio peresis of Rt lower limb with calcaneo-cavo-valgus deformity in a 15 yr old girl.

After a long wait the Orthopaedic Surgeons of Chittagong came togather in Ward 26 of Chittagong Medical College Hospital in mid-June,2001 with an anticipation to form an upright and pleasant circle to nourish the orthopaedic resources available at hand in the city. The following matters were discussed in the meeting :

• reorganization of the weekly Clinical Meeting
• opening of the Post-Graduate courses in CMC soon
• publication of a regular newsletter
• formation of forum as "Clinical Orthopaedic & Related Research"
• opening a branch of Bangladesh Orthopaedic Society in Chittagong if constitution of BOS permits
• continuing the monthly get-together etc.

The session was presided by the ex-Project Director of RIHD Prof. Md.Muazzam Hussain. It is worthy to mention that the auspicious meet was convened and sponsored by Prof. M.Manzurul Islam. Fourteen Orthopaedic Surgeons attended and participated in the discussion. The gathering agreed unanimously to form a body for publication of a newsletter from Chittagong and Prof. Md.Muazzam Hussian, Prof. M.Manzurul Islam and Dr. Md.Imam Uddin nominated as the members of the board of advisors : Dr. Md.Abul Basher Chowdhury as the Editor-Publisher, Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed and Dr. Hossain Ahmed as Asst.Editors.

The blazing midday sun saw the good ending with vote of thanks rendered by Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmed and a sumptuous refreshment followed.

• Prof. Md.Muazzam Hussain, FCPS
• Prof. M.Manzurul Islam, MS Ortho
• Dr. Imam Uddin, MS Ortho
• Dr. Md.Abul Bashar Chowdhury, MS Ortho
• Dr. Md.Anwar Hossain, MS Ortho
• Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy, MS Ortho
• Dr. Saleh Uddin Ahmad, MS Ortho
• Dr. Hossain Ahmed, MS Ortho
• Major (Dr.) Md. Shahidullah, MS Ortho
• Dr. Bimal Kumar Saha, MS Ortho
• Dr. A.S.S.Mahmood, D Ortho
• Dr. Md.Zakaria, D Ortho
• Dr. A.N.M.Humayun Kabir, D Ortho

• Professor Subahagata Choudhury, Principal, Chittagong Medical College.
• Brigadier General (Dr.) Md.Zillur Rahman, Director, Chittagong Medical College Hospital.
• Professor A.Y.Fazle Elahi Chowdhury, Prof. & Head, Dept. of Anaesthesiology, CMC.

ANY ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON IN THE COUNTRY MAY CONTRIBUTE TO CORR BY SENDING :

• Clinical reports of the Orthopaedic and Trauma cases.
• Suggestion regarding the change of existing undergraduate courses of Orthopaedic Surgery in the country.
• Orthopaedic patient-disease profile in any hospital in the country.
• Any topic related to Orthopaedic surgery (may be accepted from a non-Orthopaedist).
• News, Views, Comments related to CORR, to the Editor-Publisher for printing in the ensuing issues.

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