Epilepsy is curable and treatment is affordable in Pakistan: neurologists

Karachi
At least 10 percent population of Pakistan suffers from different brain-related ailments ranging from brain cancer to depression, and out of them least two percent people have epilepsy — a neurological disorder which can be treated easily with the help of medicines and, sometimes, surgery.
However, unfortunately, only 27 percent of the total epilepsy patients in the country get treated for the disease while a vast majority do not even consider it and head to quacks and faith healers.
This was stated by top-most neurologists of the country while addressing a news conference on the eve of World Brain Day to highlight the prevailing neurological disorders, especially epilepsy, and availability of their treatment.
The World Brain Day is observed on 22nd July every year all over the globe. This year the theme of the day is awareness about epilepsy, which is considered to be taboo in many societies, including Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, senior neurologist Prof Dr Shaukat Ali said most people in Pakistan considered epilepsy to be an ‘untreatable’ disease. However, he said, the disorder was completely curable and people with epilepsy could live a healthy and full life with medicines and help from qualified physicians.
“Epilepsy is completely curable and its treatment is very affordable in most of the cases,” said Prof Shaukat Ali, who is the president of Epilepsy Association of Pakistan.
“In Karachi, many public and private hospitals have qualified neurologists who specialise in its treatment. The biggest example is Maulana Abdus Sattar Edhi, who is an epileptic but he has performed wonders in his life.”
He said awareness was the key to eradicate epilepsy from Pakistan, where the neurological condition was considered to be a taboo and people neither took their children to doctors nor informed anyone about it because they were too embarrassed about it.
“Treatment for epilepsy is available at the National Epilepsy Centre at Jinnah hospital and also at Civil hospital, along with many private hospitals,” he said, and appealed to the government to appoint qualified neurologists in hospitals where positions of the neurologists were vacant.
Another senior professor and neurologist, Dr Wasey Shakir, urged the media to tell the people that epilepsy was a disease like diabetes or hypertension, and was easily curable in the country as well.
“The problem is that people don’t consider it a disease and go to spiritual healers and quacks, believing that it is some kind of superstitious phenomenon,” he said. “In case of any seizures people must consult a qualified physician or a neurologist.”
On the occasion, he demanded from the Sindh government to appoint neurologists in the district hospitals, while adding that some public hospitals in Karachi also lacked qualified neurologists despite the fact the sanctioned posts were available.
Dr Wasey also demanded the availability of the medicines for treating the disorder in all public hospitals and the rest of the province, saying the medicines were quite cheap and easily available in the country. He said with little expense, the government could help thousands of epileptic patients live a productive life.
Another senior neurologist, Dr Naila Shahbaz, said expecting women should be careful during the entire period of pregnancy and child birth should be arranged at proper health facilities since any delay in provision of oxygen to the baby could lead to neurological disorders. She said with a little care, many children can be kept from having epilepsy.
She said if a child gets blank at home or at school for even a small period in a day, week or month, has seizures or has any other mental condition, the parents should immediately consult a qualified doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Dr Abdul Malik deplored that epilepsy was not on the Sindh government’s priority, claiming that at least 50 hospitals in the entire province were not only without qualified neurologists also lacked medicines for the treatment of the brain disorder.

Awareness walk
An awareness walk was also organised outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Wednesday to highlight the neurological disorder and the availability of its treatment among the general public.
The walk was jointly organised by the Pakistan Society of Neurology, Epilepsy Association of Pakistan and Neurology Awareness and Research Foundation and was attended by senior doctors, physicians, neurologists and health workers.