The first of its kind initiative is aimed at offering education, diagnosis, and treatment to thousands of patients living with epilepsy in rural areas. Says Safia Rizvi, managing director, UCB India, "In order to take forward the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the field of epilepsy, Hope on Wheels project will touch the lives of over 50,000 patients and healthcare providers in Rajasthan through a Mobile Health Clinic (MHC) set up equipped with video conferencing or telemedicine facility.
Planned to make a head start from Rural Rajasthan, Hope on Wheels, a non-profit organisation will work in collaboration with State and local authorities with support from Indian Epilepsy Association and the Indian Epilepsy Society to be replicated across the country.
MHC equipped with necessary diagnostic and treatment tools will be run by a team of clinical and technical experts and social workers. It will have a video conferencing/telemedicine facility to enable consultation with top city based neurologists via technology wherever required.
Envisaged to transform the perception of epilepsy in rural India, Hope on Wheels will also provide patient, family and community support with regular follow up consultations and social worker visits to monitor adherence to treatment and identify potential adverse events.
Epilepsy remains one of the most dreaded disease in India with over 1.04 million cases in 2010 which may go upto 11.7 million by 2020. "Hope on Wheels is a significant step towards treating epilepsy as the prevalence of epilepsy in rural areas (10.1 patients per 1000 people) being double of that in urban locations," concluded Dr Rizvi.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Shardul Nautiyal
Quelle/Source: Pharmabiz, 30.11.2013
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