The Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) has launched several state-of-the-art facilities, including a high end robotic neuro rehabilitation device, for patients suffering from paralysis of legs and hands due to stroke.
The installation of the German machine forms part of a ramping up of neuro rehabilitation facilities at the newly-opened stroke ward under the Department of Neurology.
The facilities include an indigenously designed and developed Hand Rehabilitation tool kit which can also be used to measure the speed and effectiveness of recovery and computerised cognitive rehabilitation tools. The department has also come out with stroke education videos in Tamil .
The new facilities were commissioned during the recently-concluded National Brain Week observance by the Department of Neurology and the Indian Academy of Neurology.
While launching the new features, Jipmer Director Dr. S.C. Parija highlighted the shortage of neurologists in India. At present, DM/DNB (Neurology), the post-graduate qualification requisite for taking up practice as a neurologist is available at 89 medical institutes with a total of 205 seats throughout the country, which meant approximately 200 qualified practising neurologists will be added every year. However, the average number of neurologists per lakh of population varies between countries. While developed countries like the United States, had five neurologists per 100, 000 population, in India this ratio is only 0.01 neurologist per 100, 000 population.
“There is a need to increase this and also to create focussed sub specialists for stroke and epilepsy services through fellowship courses and foster cutting edge research in these domains, which is something the Jipmer planned to do,” Dr. Parija said.
Dr. Sunil Narayan, professor and head of the department of neurology, informed that the newly developed facilities represented the core of stroke rehabilitation principles as they were useful for early, effective and assured intervention.
The burden of brain disorders and neurological diseases is largely underestimated. Stroke and traumatic brain injuries are two most important causes of disability around the globe. One to two per cent of the global population suffers from some kind of disability related to traumatic brain injury.
Dr. Narayan pointed out that worldwide, stroke is the second commonest cause of death after ischemic heart disease and ahead of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In India, approximately six people suffer from a stroke every minute. However, 80 per cent of these people do not receive treatment, though in Puducherry, Jipmer and other hospitals provide this free, Dr. Narayan said.
