Jayanagar General Hospital in Bengaluru gets a brain health clinic
The Hindu
Set-up under the Karnataka Brain Health Initiative, similar clinics will come up at SNR Hospital in Kolar and District Hospital in Chikkaballapur
For early diagnosis and timely treatment of common neurological problems, such as epilepsy, headache, stroke, dementia and brain infections, from the grassroots level of primary health centres, a Brain Health Clinic was inaugurated at the State-run Jayanagar General Hospital. The clinic was set up under the Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (Ka-BHI).
Recognising the need to improve treatment and prevent neurological disorders in the community, the State Government in association with NIMHANS and Niti Aayog launched Ka-BHI in January. The idea is to diagnose and treat neurological issues from the grassroots level of primary health centres to secondary-level district hospitals and then NIMHANS at the tertiary level in the State. Chief MInister Basavaraj Bommai announced the initiative in the State budget in March.
NIMHANS has trained 100 doctors at the PHC level for Brain Health Clinics in the three pilot districts of Bengaluru South, Kolar and Chikkaballapur. Brain Health Clinics will also be started at SNR Hospital in Kolar and District Hospital in Chikkaballapur.
Suvarna Alladi, professor and head of the Department of Neurology at NIMHANS, said 100 doctors have been trained through in-person and weekly online neurology interactive teaching sessions conducted by the neurology faculty of NIMHANS.
“For the first time in India, PHC doctors will be certified in the treatment of common neurological diseases. Training programme for ASHA workers has been developed to screen patients with neurological disorders at Health and Wellness centres and homes, so that early identification and treatment can be provided at the grassroots level,” she explained.
“Ka-Bhi is developing strong forward and backward referral linkages between primary, secondary and tertiary levels for patients who need specialised treatment for neurological diseases,” she said.
Health and Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar, who inaugurated the clinic, said the Brain Health Clinics will serve as nodal centres to diagnose, treat, refer and follow-up patients with common neurological disorders.