If properly diagnosed epilepsy 100pc curable, say experts

LAHORE :With the passage of time it has been proved that epilepsy is 100 per cent curable disease, however, in-time and proper diagnosis is important.

Medical experts said that, unfortunately, Pakistan had highest percentage of this disease. Infection, TB, typhoid and high fever are the main reasons of epilepsy in the country. Punjab Institute of Neuro Sciences Executive Director Prof Dr Khalid Mahmood, Prof Ahsan Noman, Prof Ather Javed, Prof M Naeem Qasoori, Dr Mohsin Zaheer, Dr Mohsin Zaheer, Dr Shahid Mukhtar and others participated in the public seminar at PINS, LGH.

The medical experts said that with a little care pregnant women could deliver babies with this disease, however, doctors should determine the difference between epilepsy and said that out of total 50 million patients of epilepsy, two million belonged to Pakistan and then out of that only 50,000 go for treatment.

They said that there was no work of ghosts or sorcery in the epilepsy. This is a debilitating disease which can be cured in the 21st century with the help of modern operation and medicine and the patient can live a normal life. Epilepsy is not a contagious disease, they said.

In addition to jerking seizures, there are many other types of epilepsy in which the patient suffers severe seizures, hands get foam and urine starts flowing. Children also have mild tremors in their hands or feet. Talking that the epileptic patient should immediately consult a qualified doctor or neuro-physician, have regular blood tests, EEG, EMG and MRI and use regular medication. They said there was a dire need that apart from doctors, the media, civil society, ulema and social organisations should play their role in creating awareness among the masses about epilepsy.

Proper method for treatment for the disease should be adopted. In epilepsy in children the growing portion of brain is in danger to be damaged or injured so it is the duty of the doctor to determine that this fit belongs to epilepsy or not and proper treatment be ensured as well through operation or medicines.

Dr Shahid Mukhtar and other speakers emphasised that epilepsy should be taken as a common disease like other ones though this disease had further branches and examples for which right diagnosis had great importance. Similarly, if the duration of the fits go longer than 3 minutes the patients should immediately be shifted to hospital.

MoU signed for free hepatitis screening: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed to conduct a free hepatitis screening of all officers and officials of public sector departments of Lahore under hepatitis-free Punjab project.

Medical camps will start free screening from Shahdara next week. In this regard, Wife of Punjab governor and Sarwar Foundation’s Vice Chairperson Begum Perveen Sarwar and Head of Hepatitis Control Programme-HCP (Punjab Health Department) Dr Khalid Mehmood signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) here at Health Department where DG Health (Punjab) Dr Haroon Jahangir Khan, Sarwar Foundation’s Khaliq-uz-Zaman, HCP Deputy Director Dr Yadullah Khan and others were present.

Talking to the media on the occasion, Begum Perveen Sarwar said: “For the first time, we in collaboration with Health Department are initiating a programme for free hepatitis screening of employees of public sector departments including health and education and any employee suffering from this disease will be provided complete medical treatment free of cost while those with negative hepatitis will be vaccinated.” She said under the public-private partnership ‘we have joined hands with Health Department to save the people from this fatal disease across Punjab’. In the first phase, she added, free hepatitis screening and treatment process will be initiated from Shahdara area, where free medical camps will be set up in all its union councils by next week and the patients will be provided all medical facilities.

HCP Head Dr Khalid Mehmood said, “I am sure that after having an agreement with Sarwar Foundation, we will succeed in saving the people from this fatal disease, and public sector employees are being made part of this programme so that hepatitis-infected employees can be provided with free medical facilities.”

After Shahdara, he added, the scope of this free hepatitis screening will be extended to other cities of Punjab as well.