Mahabubnagar: A Free Epilepsy Health Camp held at Sri SMV Multi Speciality Hospital in Mahabubnagar on Wednesday sent out a strong message — epilepsy is curable and early diagnosis, coupled with timely treatment, can save lives. The camp drew a large public response, with health experts urging people to break the stigma and seek medical help.
Leading neurosurgeon Dr. Raghu Samala, Consultant Neurosurgeon at AIG Hospitals, Hyderabad, who hails from Tankara village in Mahabubnagar, led the camp. Coming from a humble background and having completed his MS from a prestigious institution in Chandigarh, Dr. Raghu said serving people from his own district gave him immense satisfaction.
Speaking at the event, he emphasized that 70–80% of epilepsy cases can be cured with proper diagnosis and medicines, while the remaining severe cases can be successfully treated through surgery. “The biggest barrier is not the disease itself but the lack of awareness and early detection,” he stressed.
He advocated for creating a National Epilepsy Registry, including epilepsy treatment under the Aarogyasri Health Care Trust scheme, and expanding insurance coverage to make treatment affordable for poor families.
Dr. Raghu explained that epilepsy can result from childbirth complications, malnutrition during pregnancy, brain infections, strokes, accidents, and excessive alcohol use. Though over 50 lakh people in India live with epilepsy, fewer than 1,000 surgeries are done annually, showing a huge awareness gap.
To bridge this, SMV Hospital has partnered with AIG Hospitals to provide epilepsy surgeries at less than 50% of the market cost and is exploring NGO collaborations for free or subsidized treatment.
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