CHENNAI
An awareness programme was organised to mark the International Epilepsy Day at the Government Stanley Hospital on Monday.
The condition was treatable and curable like any other ailment with better diagnostic tools and therapeutic agents available now. Epilepsy was prevalent in five per 1,000 population with around 3.94 lakh having the disease in the State. As many as 50,000 people had epilepsy in the city.
Health secretary J. Radhakrishnan, who presided over the programme, urged people to let go of the stigma and false beliefs associated with the disease and seek treatment being provided free of cost at the government institutions.
Director of Medical Education R. Narayana Babu spoke on the prevalence of seizures in children and advanced medical treatment available to them.
Senior consultant neurologist and former head of the Department of Neurology M. Dhanaraj explained various surgical modalities available to treat refractory epilepsy.
Dean P. Balaji said the Government Stanley Hospital was the only State-run institution to offer comprehensive epilepsy care that included video-EEG and surgical treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy.
According to K. Mugundhan, head of neurology: “Nearly 6,000 patients attend the epilepsy clinic at the hospital every month and anti-epileptic drugs are provided to them free of cost. The department runs a special drug refractory/resistant epilepsy clinic to address the special needs of patients and surgical workup is planned,” he added.
At the event, two patients, who had undergone surgery at the hospital, shared their experience and emphasised the need for regular follow-up. Children cured of epilepsy who participated in competitive games were given prizes.
