More Health Personnel Need To Bridge The Gap In Diagnosing And Managing Epilepsy Among Children
Bansol Medical camp health practitioners giving free medical services to Kiambu residents
By Felix Njenga
Worth Noting:
- Jane Kariuki the founder of Bansol Medical Camp said that the camp is attending to the general public medical condition that include hypertension, diabetes and other illnesses and have partnered with different health facilities to give free medical services to Kenyans such as Komarock modern health care facility, Ubuntu neurology facility and National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD)
- She said that for the children who have epilepsy the medical camp is going further in enrolling them into the Taifa care or the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) so that they can get medication and treatment for the year 2025.
The country has gaps in diagnosing and managing epilepsy especially among children with doctors calling for more health workers to be trained.
Dr. Maureen Njoroge while leading other health personnel during a free medical camp for children with epilepsy organised by Bansol Epilepsy Medical Camp at Napastaa Children Home in Kiambu town said that health care personnel can be able to enrol themselves in the epilepsy trainings being given across the country so that they can be able to give up to date evidence-based care for children who have epilepsy.
“We need health care personnel who are trained. we have been giving paediatric epileptic trainings across the country and we are hoping that the health care personnel in hospitals can be able to enrol themselves,” she said
She said that there are different types of epilepsy where one starts from a different side of the brain and others that come from both sides of the brain and other epilepsy that can cause developmental delays.
‘What we are looking at is the presentation of these children and then diagnosing the particular epilepsy that they have and giving appropriate medication,’ she said.
She said that they are also giving examination for epileptic children.
She said that epilepsy is a very manageable condition one needs to get the correct treatment after getting the correct diagnosis.
“By following the advice of the doctor then you can be able to handle a child who is not seizing and get that medication removed after a certain period of seizure freedom,” she said.
She advised parents that if their epileptic child convulses they should not do anything on the mouth and make sure that the child is in a safe position and then take the child to hospital to ensure that whatever has caused the seizures can be managed and diagnosed appropriately.
Jane Kariuki the founder of Bansol Medical Camp said that the camp is attending to the general public medical condition that include hypertension, diabetes and other illnesses and have partnered with different health facilities to give free medical services to Kenyans such as Komarock modern health care facility, Ubuntu neurology facility and National Council for Persons with Disability (NCPWD)
She said that for the children who have epilepsy the medical camp is going further in enrolling them into the Taifa care or the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) so that they can get medication and treatment for the year 2025.
“As a Psychologist my calling is to the community so that these non-communicable diseases can be addressed. when they are addressed early the child can live a quality, better, healthier life even as they grow, go to school and do other work so that they can live lie other children,” she said.
She called on parents to take advantage of the free medical camp and bring forward their children to be treated and get relevant information on how to take care of their children who have epilepsy.
She also called on donors and well wishers to come onboard and help with the initiative so that they can be able to support Kenyans in other sub counties and areas in the country.
Kiambu Disability Services Officer (DSO) Josphat Mokuit said that epilepsy affects over 800,000 persons in the country and it is a neurodevelopmental disability and that is the reason the NCPWD has been doing awareness and sensitization to ensure that they enlighten persons who suffer from epilepsy so that they should be able to know how to handle it when they get their aura.
“As national council we have a kitty to ensure that we do sensitization and awareness of epilepsy and we also do mapping for persons with epilepsy to ensure that they get medication and therapy and any other assistance they would want,” he said.
He, however said that despite the epilepsy treatment being expensive the NCPWD launched the autism and epilepsy disability program to ensure that epilepsy is catered for.
“If a parent does not know whether their child suffers from epilepsy it may be dangerous and it is important that caregivers are taught about epilepsy so that they may be able to know the interventions they should take in case a child has convulsed,” he said.
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