On August 17, a couple died on Western Express High- National Park bridge in Mumbai's Borivali because of a pothole. Time and again, Mumbaikars, as residents of the city are called, face issues due to the bad roads in the city.
The complaints about the same go unheard and the cycle continues.
Free Press Journal spoke to a few commuters who are facing health issues because of the bad roads in city.
S Jadhav, 70, said, “I had knees replacement surgery done eleven years back. I fell down six months back because of bad road in Sion area.” Her doctor said, “She suffered periprosthetic fracture of left knee and then her distal femoral replacement had to be done.”
A resident of Charni Road said, “My grandmother fell a few months back due to a pothole on a road in Andheri and her hip ball got broken which was then operated.”
Another resident of South Mumbai said that his mother was injured a few days ago because of the bad roads.
”My 96-year-old mother has been quite active. A few months back, she fell due to a pothole on a road and we had to get her hip ball replacement surgery done. Bad roads are affecting the health of all citizens in Mumbai. Better job needs to be done with basic infrastructure," the resident voiced.
A conductor of a BEST bus said that he frequently suffers from low back pain and leg pain because of poor road conditions.
When we spoke to orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists in the city, they gave remedial measures to prevent major complications.
Dr Rajesh Dharia, an orthopaedic surgeon said, “I see many of my elderly female patients with osteoporosis and back pain problems. Many suffer from vertebral osteoporotic compression fractures due to the bad roads. If the respective agencies do not fix the roads, then we orthopedic surgeons have to fix patients’ bones and joints.”
He advised that the senior citizens at more risk should lay their back while driving in a four-wheeler to avoid jerk effects.
Dr Amit Sharma, a spine surgeon, “Older people suffering from osteoporosis get spinal fractures due to bad roads. The jerks while driving for long distances can cause arms and leg fractures and disk degeneration.”
Another orthopaedic surgeon, Dr Sachin Rathod, spoke about two of his recent patients who had to apply sudden brake due to a pothole.
He said, “A 37-year-old- motorist, developed acute low back pain and was unable to walk and had to be operated on. While another 42-year-old driver had a patella bone fracture from driving on bad roads. This affected his livelihood and he had to return to his hometown.”
He suggested prehabilitation is the best way to strengthen knee and back muscles. Prehabilitation or prehab is a multidisciplinary healthcare intervention.
Rathod suggested that taking a 45-minute walk reduces the chances of getting severe injuries due to jerks. One also should avoid applying sudden brakes, he added.
Dr Suresh Patel, a physiotherapist from South Mumbai said, “Due to bad roads, people from all age groups suffer from plantar fasciitis and ankle spurs and youngsters develop muscular and ligament pain below knee. Senior citizens with knee pain are advised walking but when they walk on such roads, their knee pain gets elevated.”
He advised trying to walk in even surfaces and to use light weighted sport shoes with heels that have extra arch support while walking on uneven roads. "People with spine problems should always wear a lumbar belt while travelling. Four-wheeler drivers should keep a pillow below their backs to avoid jerks due to bad roads," he added.
