World Brain Day: Cricketer Robin Uthappa on mental struggles and Karnataka’s initiatives to promote brain health

“I understand the importance of mental health as I have gone through mental health issues when I was young. So this is very personal and in my capacity I will do my best to reach out to the common man and talk to them about the importance of mental health. It is very important to give importance to brain health,” he said.

The World Federation of Neurology has declared July 22 as World Brain Day in an attempt to raise public awareness and promote advocacy related to brain health. This year, the efforts revolve around the theme ‘Brain Health for All’. Launched in January, the Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (Ka-BHI) is a joint effort by Nimhans and the department of family health and wellness to prevent and improve treatment of neurological disorders.

Nimhans director Pratima Murthy said the institute has proposed a core group to the government to treat stroke and trauma patients. “Most of the tertiary and secondary hospitals refer stroke patients to Nimhans and the golden hour is lost. Nimhans will train doctors and nurses to better manage stroke cases so time is not wasted referring to other hospitals,” she said.

“Neurological diseases, including stroke, epilepsy, headache, dementia and brain infections, contribute to an immense disability and economic burden on the community. Currently, there is little awareness of these neurological diseases and the treatment gap is between 50 and 90%,” said Murthy.

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, in his March 2022 budget speech, had announced the start of pilot projects on brain health in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bangalore South districts.

The World Federation of Neurology has declared July 22 as World Brain Day in an attempt to raise public awareness and promote advocacy related to brain health. (Express Photo)

“Ka-BHI will facilitate early diagnosis and timely treatment of common neurological diseases including epilepsy, headache, stroke, dementia and brain infections from the grassroots levels of Primary Health Centers (PHCs), district level hospitals secondary and Nimhans at the tertiary level. A training program for PHC medical officers was launched on 11 March and was completed in June 2020. One hundred PHC doctors in the pilot districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapura and South Zone Bengaluru were trained through interactive teaching sessions. Weekly online and face-to-face neurology courses led by Nimhans. APS doctors will be certified in the treatment of common neurological diseases, a first for India. A training program has been developed for ASHA workers to screen patients with neurological disorders in health and wellness centers and homes so that early identification and treatment can be provided at the grassroots level,” Murthy said. .

Health Minister Dr. Sudhakar K said that physical and mental health complement each other. “Many people have the misconception that mental health issues only affect people below the poverty line, when the truth is that many wealthy families face mental health issues. It is not a sin to consult a doctor if one is facing problems related to the brain. Sometimes even counseling can improve it. Every sixth person is affected by Parkinson’s disease. We want to extend the global health facilities to the citizens of Karnataka,” he said.

The Brain Health Clinic (BHC) opened on Friday at Jayanagar General Hospital and will later open at SNR district hospital in Kolar and Chikkaballapur district hospital.

“The BHCs will serve as hubs to diagnose, treat, refer and follow up patients with common neurological disorders. They will be coordinated by doctors from the general hospital trained in the care of patients with neurological diseases. These clinics will ensure that patients with neurological conditions receive multidisciplinary care that includes counseling, physical therapy, rehabilitation, and disability benefits,” Murthy said.

“Ka-BHI will also link with existing national health programs such as the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases and Stroke (NPCDCS), National Program for Health Care for the Elderly (NPHCE), National Program for Palliative Care (NPPC) and National Mental Health Program (NMHP) that will strengthen the Health Initiative Cerebral. An IT platform being developed by IIIT Bengaluru will help digitize Ka-BHI and facilitate monitoring, referral and efficient care delivery,” added Murthy.