‘Less than 25pc of 2m Pakistani epileptics approach doctors’

Karachi
Around two million people in Pakistan, mostly under the age of 30, suffer from epilepsy in Pakistan. The disease is absolutely treatable but due to the lack of awareness, hardly 25 percent of the patients approach doctors.
This was revealed by health experts at a press conference held at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Wednesday, in connection with the International Purple (Epilepsy) Day observed on March 26.
The press conference was organised by the Pakistan Society of Neurology (PSN) and was addressed by Dr Naila Shahbaz, Dr Fowzia Siddiqui, Prof Arif Herakar and Dr Abdul Malik.
“Around 50 million people in the world suffer from epilepsy and out of them two million are in Pakistan,” said neurologist Dr Fowzia Siddiqui. “This is one tenth of the world’s share of epilepsy patients, most of whom are manageable. But due to the lack of awareness and qualified neurologists, a vast majority remains untreated.”
She said the most prevalent cause of not treating epilepsy was the notion that the condition was caused due to advent of some supernatural beings such as demons or jinns. Hence, she said, a large number of people then went to spiritual healers and quacks for epilepsy management.
Dr Siddiqui, who is also the Purple Day ambassador, said types of epilepsy types ranged from brief staring spells to generalised convulsions and each of them had a different management plan.
She said epileptics can lead normal and productive lives, could marry and have children without any consequences, if their disease was managed right.
“The seizures or fits are usually brief and go away on their own,” she said. “The first aid methodology of making epileptics smell shoes is wrong. Do not put anything in the patient’s mouth or try to restrain them, just turn them on their left and remove any damaging material from their surroundings.”
Prof Arif Herekar said people needed to know that epilepsy was a disease and at least consult with a doctor, if not the neurologist. He advised patients to carry information with them in case they had a seizure in public.
Dr Abdul Malik said that Pakistan Society of Neurology was working on national guidelines to help physicians treat patients. This year, he said, the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) also dedicated this year to epilepsy awareness.
The experts emphasised that epilepsy was treatable but there were very few qualified neurologists in Pakistan, and this was why most of the patients were cared for by family physicians not trained to manage such conditions.