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Surgery can benefit 60 pc epilepsy
patients, say experts Chandigarh, December 11 The patients do not have to go far for getting the surgery done. They can be operated upon by surgeons at the PGI. Two patients have so far been operated upon here, ever since the facility was introduced two months back. In India, there are about 5 million epileptics. About 40 per cent have seizures, which do not respond to medical treatment. A substantial number of such patients can benefit from surgery. The operation is conducted free of cost at the PGI for poor patients. Others have to pay a nominal amount between Rs 5, 000 and Rs 10, 000. Private hospitals, on the other hand, charge anywhere between Rs 1 lakh and Rs 2 lakh. Outside India, it costs $10,000 to $15,000. Though expertise is available, more technicians are required, doctors claim. “The facilities are available at the PGI, but three times more technicians are required. Otherwise also the institute is bogged with patients, financial crunch and a shortage of staff”, they say adding that about 300 patients visit the OPD everyday, out of which 30 per cent are epileptic and a large number need surgery. Highlighting the benefits of surgery, Head of the Paediatric Neurology and Paediatric Epilepsy at Cleveland Clinical Foundation,Ohio, USA, Elaine Wyllie says, “Epilepsy surgery is just ready to take off in India. Instead of going in for medicines every week, the patients can get cured up to quite some extent with the help of surgery.” The doctors claim that the patients do not get fully cured but benefit to a great extent. The operation is more or less safe, but the fact is not known to many people. As a result, a few patients come forward in the fear of getting the brain operated upon.” “Society is still not ready for epilepsy surgery. Actually there is no awareness about the surgery and its results,” says Professor and Head of PGI’s Neurology Department S. Prabhakar. “Even the educated class fears getting a surgery done”. Other doctors add that Chennai is perhaps the first centre to carry out such operations in the country. Surgeons there have been operating upon patients since the past 25 years. Doctors at Thiruvananthapuram have also been conducting the operations for the past six years. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences too has been conducting the operation for the past two years. In all, there are 12 centres in the country where such operations are performed. Giving details, the doctors claim that epilepsy is caused due to birth defects, besides malformations. It is caused mostly in childhood. Tumor and trauma, besides infection, at the time of birth are among the common causes. Even delayed oxygen at the time of birth is a cause. Tapeworm infection in rural areas is another factor. Road accidents also cause epilepsy. “Neurocystocrosis is the main cause of epilepsy in India,” asserts PGI’s Emeritus Professor of Neurology Jagjit S. Chopra. “Eating raw salad and curd outside is unhygienic,” he asserts. Experts attending International EEG course at the PGI assert that patients should be wary of centres promising 100 per cent cure. Quoting an example of one such institute, the doctors assert that patients had been making rounds of the centre for years together without getting any benefit. They add that the Union Health Ministry would soon be apprised of the situation.They said the ministry would be requested to send drugs available at such centres, claiming 100 per cent cure, to research centres through the Indian Council of Medical Research and test of these medicines conducted. |
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Latest medical aid must reach masses: expert Chandigarh, December 11 “No doubt 25 years back India could be termed as primitive in the field of cerebrovascular surgery, but today a lot of advancements have been made. But unfortunately even today majority of the population does not have access to these latest techniques,” remarked Dr R.P. Sengupta, former Director of Regional Neurosurgeons Centre, Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Dr Sengupta was here to attend the third annual conference of the Indian Society of Cerebrovascular Surgery held at the PGI today. Dr Sengupta said India had best neurosurgeons, but one area in which the country was still lagging was in the field of carotid disease. He said in case of carotid diseases, where the artery supplying blood to the brain is blocked, there was a lot of delay in treatment due to lack of awareness amongst primary physicians. “Physicians continue treating such patients with medicines and as such there is delay in their treatment by a neurosurgeon,” he lamented. “Since specialists are reluctant to move out to the remote corners, the government must dole out special incentives so that neurological facilities can be taken to institutes outside metropolitan cities,” he opined. He said it was essential that there was timely treatment. Dr Sengupta also stressed the need for better traffic management and stringent laws to prevent accidents. “Apart from setting up of trauma centres at the highway hospitals, there is an urgent need to educate doctors at smaller places on how to handle head injuries before they can be referred to bigger medical institutes,” he said. Emeritus Professor at the PGI and former Director-Principal, Government Medical College and Hospital, Prof V.K. Kak, regretted that due to poor neurological facilities in medical colleges and hospitals, people were being referred to the PGI. A CT scan must be made mandatory for every medical college, he asserted. Over 100 neurosurgeons, |
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Workshop on cerebral
palsy ends Chandigarh, December 11 The workshop, organised by GMCH, along with a team of experts from Nizam Institute of Medical Sciences at Hyderabad and Indian Family of Cerebral Palsy headed by Prof A K Purohit, concluded here yesterday. According to Professor and Head of Orthopaedics Department, Dr Raj Bahadur, four cases underwent “intrathecal balcofen evaluation”, a drug which is used with special technique to reduce the spasticity in the severe cases where surgeries also do not help. |
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PGI short of funds for neurosciences unit Chandigarh, December 11 Though Rs 50 crore was allocated for the Neurosciences Centre under the 10th Five-Year Plan, the ambitious project has not taken off as a fund-starved PGI is finding it difficult to even complete its ongoing projects. Owing to this delay, the departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery are having a tough time treating patients despite being medically and surgically equipped for the task. “Unfortunately, we cannot offer the best we have as a separate stroke unit is a must till the Neurosciences Centre comes up,” admitted Prof S. Prabhakar, Head of the Neurology Department at the PGI. He said the department was yet to get Rs 50 crore for setting up the Neurosciences Centre, which was much needed as there was no such centre in the region. “Seeing the acute shortage of funds at the PGI, the setting up of the Neurosciences Centre doesn’t seem to be happening, but at least a stroke unit must be in place as all stroke patients from neighbouring states are referred here,” admit PGI doctors. A number of other projects, including the Advanced Cardiac Centre, the Advanced Eye Care Centre, the New Operation Theatre Complex, the Trauma Centre and the Bone Marrow Transplant Centre have been delayed for want of funds. Professor Prabhakar said since it could take some time for the Neurosciences Centre to take shape, the creation of a stroke unit would go a long way in providing better care and treatment to patients. “We already have the medical and surgical equipment that is needed for this unit, but it is only the recurring expenditure in terms of more doctors, nurses and other para-medical staff which is required,” said Professor Prabhakar. Talking about brain stroke, the Head of the Neurosurgery Department, Professer Khosla, said the lack of awareness and facilities in the region lead to high mortality and morbidity. “Though people rush to a cardiologist even if they have a mild heart problem, yet when it comes to severe headaches, a majority of them are callous, dismissing it as simple migraine or even viral fever,” he said. Professor Khosla said due to lack of awareness and delay in seeking medical help, one-third of the patients die before reaching hospital, while an equal number are unfit for treatment due to the delay. “It is essential to take severe headache seriously and consult a neurologist, as a person who is likely to get a brain attack will definitely suffer from “warning leaks” in the form of splitting headache,” he warned. Professor Prabhakar said in case a patient was rushed to a neurosurgeon within 48 hours and was in a good talking condition, he stood a bright chance of recovery. Delegates the all over the country are arriving at the PGI for the three-day 52nd Annual Conference of the Neurological Society of India to be inaugurated tomorrow.
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Manav Mangal gymnasts steal show Chandigarh, December 11 In the below 10 years boys section, Manav Mangal school bagged team championship while Bhavan Vidyalaya and Chaman Lal DAV Public School, Sector 11, Panchkula won the second and third place respectively. In the horizontal bars event, Mahesh and Rahul both of Manav Mangal School came first and second respectively. Ajay Kashyap of CL DAV School was third. In the parallel bars event, Ashish of Manav Mangal School came first, followed by Rajan Goel of CL DAV School who secured the second place while Panshul Garg of Bhavan Vidyalaya was placed at third place. In the floor exercise event, Ashish and Rahul again of Manav Mangal clinched the first and second place while Maninder Singh of Bhavan Vidyalaya was at third place. In vaulting horse event, Ashish of Manav Mangal got first place while Ajay Kashyap of CL DV School secured the second place. Maninder Singh of Bhavan Vidyalaya, was at third place. In the Roman rings event, Ashish and Rahul once again proved their supremacy by attaining first and second place. Lekshit Gupta of Bhavan Vidyalaya remained at the third place. In the girls section, under 10 years age, Manav Mangal School got first place, Bhavan Vidyalaya secured second place while CL DAV School remained third. In the all round individual championship, Diksha and Vidhi both of Manav Mangal School grabbed first and second place. Shalu of CL DAV School was at third place. In the balancing beam event, Shalu of CL DAV School secured the first position while Diksha and Madhu of Manav Mangal School, came second and third. In the uneven bars event, Diksha and Vidhi of Manav Mangal School bagged first and second place while Shalu of CL DAV School was at third place in this event. In the floor exercise, Diksha and Vidhi of Manav Mangal School secured first and second place while Shalu of third place. In vaulting horse event, Diksha of Manav Mangal came first, Harpreet of Bhavan Vidyalaya bagged the second place.  |
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Promises set the ball rolling in Golf Club elections Chandigarh, December 11 The following are the executive committee members fielded by Col A.P. Singh: Col :B.S. Kahlon, Dr G.S. Kochhar, G.S. Lehal, Dr H.S. Aneja, Col Iqbal Singh, Col J.S. D eo, Col J.S. Panag, S.M.S. Sandhu, S,.R. Sharma, S.P.S. Matharoo, Capt
G.S. Ghuman.
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GIMRC-32 win cricket tourney Chandigarh, December 11 |
MC seeks 20 mgd pipeline to meet water shortage Mohali, December 11 In a letter sent today to the Secretary, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Punjab, the council president, Mr Kulwant Singh, said that the town was facing water shortage which could become acute in the near future. The letter further said that in 1977 a scheme had been drawn up for the augmentation of water supply to Chandigarh. It had been planned that four pipelines having a capacity of 20 mgd would be laid from Kajauli for Chandigarh and two for Mohali. The Punjab Urban Planning and Development Authority (PUDA) had already acquired land for laying these pipelines. Mr Kulwant Singh brought to the notice of the Secretary that as the ground water level in the town was dropping, tubewells were becoming non-functional. He said out of the tubewells that had been sunk long time back by the housing board (now PUDA), 30 had become non-functional. Earlier the tubewells were sunk up to a depth of 500 ft. Now these had to be sunk to a level of more than 1250 ft. The president said that the discharge of water from the existing tubewells was also decreasing. To face water shortage the civic body had been sinking new tubewells from time to time but the desired results were not achieved. Tubewells could supply water only on a temporary basis as the water level was going down and as such funds spent by the council in this regard got wasted in the long run. Mr Kulwant Singh urged the Secretary to personally look into the matter and issue the necessary directions to PUDA to lay the 20 mgd pipeline, as it was the only solution to overcome the worsening problem of water shortage. |
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Cops reach out to elderly Chandigarh, December 11 The police personnel visited the senior citizens between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. and inspected their security and safety arrangements. Yesterday’s exercise was done in the wake of the triple murder in Panchkula,” SSP Gaurav Yadav said. As a part of this exercise, the elderly were asked to keep remote belts connected to a neighbour’s house. He said the Chandigarh police had even distributed remote belts to a few elderly. |
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Vendors selling in Apni
Mandis okayed Chandigarh, December 11 Holding of Apni Mandis by the Punjab Mandi Board on corporation land was a privilege extended to Punjab farmers for the convenience of the residents, said the Mayor, Mr Subhash Chawla. The corporation had taken a decision to allow local vendors in the mandis. The corporation would allow the vendors on a designated piece of land adjoining Apni Mandis. It would charge a fee from a private contractor, who would further rent out the land to the vendors for a fee varying between Rs 20 and Rs 50. To differentiate between the farmers and the vendors, the land rented out to the vendors would be fenced. The Apni Mandi Committee clarified that as per the Act the local vendors could not be allowed — meaning that they were unauthorisedly operating in the mandis for the past several months. The strength of such vendors varies between 50 and 200, depending upon the sector where the mandi was held. Members of the committee said the decision would benefit around 5,000 vendors. Inquiries reveal that the corporation earns around Rs 5,000 per week as market fee from the Punjab Mandi Board for allowing Apni Mandis at 10 different sites in the city. Mr Chawla said allowing vendors would encourage competition. |
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87 acres to be acquired for institutions Chandigarh, December 11 Issuing a notification under Section 4 of the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the administration has said that ‘‘the land is required for important projects and allied purposes like Chandigarh Science Park and an institutional area.” Individuals whose lands are being acquired can file their objections by December 20. Already, a 104 acre botanical garden exists in the area.
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Police post upgraded Zirakpur, December 11 With the upgrading of the Lohgarh police post to Zirakpur Police Station, the government has also decided to deploy more police personnel besides additional machinery and more facilities. The police station would be equipped with six motor cycles and an ambulance. This was stated by Mr A.S. Rai, Superintendent of Police (SSP), while hearing grievances of the Zirakpur Commercial Welfare Association, Godown Area (Bhabhat), here this evening. The SSP said the motor cycles would be used for night patrolling in the vicinity, while the ambulance would be used to evacuate accident victims on the Chandigarh-Dera Bassi and the Banur-Panchkula roads to the nearby hospitals. The ambulance would be stationed at the traffic light point here round the clock. While assuring the members of association, the SSP said police personnel would be deployed at various nodal points to curb incidents of theft in the area. The SSP asked godown owners to launch night patrolling around the godown area. Earlier, Mr Amit Jain, a godown owner, complained of frequent thefts in godowns and harassment by police personnel in registering first information reports (FIRs). He also demanded restriction on vehicular movement in and around the godowns after 10 pm, prevention of parking of heavy vehicles in front of the godowns and setting up of a police post in the godown area. Apart from godown owners, Mr Manmohan Kumar Sharma, DSP, Mr Narinder Sharma, president of Zirakpur Nagar Panchayat, and police officers were also present on the occasion.
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