Dr. Bindu Menon, a neurologist from Nellore, has been elected as secretary general of the Indian Epilepsy Association.
London-returned Dr. Menon a consultant neurologist at the Apollo Specialty Hospital has been visiting remote villages in SPSR Nellore district with her fully-equipped van ‘Neurology on Wheels’ to spread awareness among the rural folks on epilepsy, brain stroke and other neurological disorders. Her elevation to the top post in the professional body at the IEA annual conference at Jaipur on July 23 was in recognition to her efforts to enlighten the rural masses on neurological disorders, as those experiencing seizures suffer from social stigma.
Rural folk think that they are possessed by a God or Goddess and go to sorcerers instead of taking medicines, she explains in conversation with The Hindu here.
‘’It is important to take medication for a longer period for patients suffering from epilepsy, stroke and other neurological disorders. But many patients in villages discontinue medication for various reasons’‘, she observes.
People are at a risk of developing neurological disorders mainly because of consumption of common salt much higher than the required quantity of about one teaspoon per day. Sedentary lifestyle is also posing a big risk, adds Dr. Menon, who has studied the impact of prolonged medication on epilepsy patients under an Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) project.
