Dr Nirmal Surya in his quest to cure Epilepsy has treated more than five lakh patients from rural Maharashtra in one year, and he does this totally free.
Epilepsy Foundation along with National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), government of Maharashtra has created a programme by which they would visit rural Maharashtra and conduct camps and see patients. “We have covered Nashik, Satara, Parbhani, Amravati, Thane, Vidarbha, and Ratnagiri. This year we would be covering Gadchiroli, Nandurbar, Osmanabad, Jalna, Bhandara and Kolhapur,” explains Dr Nirmal Surya, a neurosurgeon who has treated more than five lakh patients. So what made Dr Surya, who practices in his clinic at South Mumbai, take up this assignment and travel to rural Maharashtra?
“Epilepsy is everywhere, but in rural Maharashtra people also have myths about this disease. We not only treat them through our medicines, but we also do street plays to make them aware about Epilepsy. Also we give them three months medicines absolutely free, along with all the tests which we conduct during our camp,” adds Dr Surya. Every weekend Dr Surya would travel with his team of doctors by train, carry all medicines himself and attend his camp. He hasn’t missed a single camp, he gives away more than two lakh worth of medicines during every camp.
Adds Dr Nirmal Surya, “One year ago when I started on my mission, I was alone. Today my team has 54 doctors, from all over Maharashtra, who have joined me willingly.” Remarks Sanjana Patil a seven-year-old patient from Ratnagiri, who was operated in Mumbai for epilepsy, “I attended Dr Surya’s camp and he gave me medicines. But after sometime, my attack didn’t stop, I came to Mumbai and he conducted the operation free of cost and now I have stopped all my medicines and I am completely fine.”
Dr Nirmal Surya is thankful to the government of Maharashtra for making his dream come true, “I got a lot from the government of Maharashtra, without which my mission wouldn’t have been successful and various doctors who contributed their time and energy. But this is just the beginning and I want to move to other states of the country and continue doing the same work.”
Dealing with an epilepsy attack
• Keep calm. Lower the patient gently to the ground
• Loosen the clothes and remove spectacles
• Remove all sharp objects lying near the patient
• Support the head with a folded towel or pillow to prevent injury
• Tilt the head to one side so that saliva, dentures or vomit can come out of the mouth and prevent choking.
• Let the patient rest, as the attack can make them tired
