(a) whether more than 150 million people in the country are suffering from Arthritis;
(b) if so, whether the Government has any programmes for creating awareness among the people, regarding prevention of this disease;
(c) if so, whether there is any modern facility in the country for knee replacement; and
(d) if not, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH & FAMILY WELFARE (SMT. PANABAKA LAKSHMI)
(a) to (d) Data on rheumatological diseases is sparse in India. However, Indian Council of Medical Research, on the basis of material available with it, has projected the number of people suffering from arthritis at about 74 million. Thousands of knee replacement surgeries are being conducted every year in most of the tertiary level health facilities in the country. AIIMS has the most modern theatre environment using latest state of the art implants and techniques.