Jamshedpur Nov 17: Tata Steel organised a public awareness programme on the occasion of World Epilepsy Day on Monday at Tata Main Hospital.
Chief Guest for the occasion was Mrs. Ruchi Narendran.
In his address to the gathering, Dr. M N Singh, Head of Neurosciences Department at Tata Main Hospital said, �In India there are more than 10 million epileptics patients and in Jamshedpur alone more than twelve thousand epileptics cases are present.
Out of 50 million epilepsy patients in world, approximately 80% reside in developing nations. He further added, �Common causes of epilepsy are Birth Anoxia, Birth Brauma, Brain Injury, Brain Infections, alcohol, drugs, Brain tumors, and Neurocysticercosis.�
Chief Guest for the occasion, Mrs. Ruchi Narendran stressed about the social stigma and false beliefs attached with the disease. She added that still lot of people feel that epilepsy is caused by evil spirit and hence opt for exorcism and witch craft.
These ignorant and misleading practices are still rampant in the society.
Present in the audience were Senior Doctors, Faculty, Nurses and General Public. The audience present during the programme also had a meaningful interaction.