First collaborative brain health hospital to be launched Friday

It was launched on January 25 this year by Dr Sudhakar.
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bengaluru. (File | EPS)
National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bengaluru. (File | EPS)

BENGALURU: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), in association with the State Government, will inaugurate the first Brain Health Clinic (BHC) in Karnataka — at Jayanagar General Hospital on the World Brain Day on July 22.BHC is a Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (KaBHI) under the guidance of NITI Aayog. Two more BHCs will later be inaugurated at SNR District Hospital, Kolar and Chikkaballapura District Hospital.

BHCs will serve as nodal centres to diagnose, treat, refer and follow-up patients with common neurological disorders and ensure that they receive multidisciplinary care, including counselling, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and disability benefits.The clinics will be coordinated by physicians at the general hospital, who are trained in the care of patients with neurological diseases. They will be supported by Departments of Neurology and Epidemiology, NIMHANS.

NIMHANS will also celebrate the World Brain Day with Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Medical Education Dr K Sudhakar and cricketer Robin Uthappa as the brand ambassador and guest of honour. The theme for this year’s World Brain Day is ‘Brain health for all.’ There will be interactive cricket with patients, care givers, and NGOs supporting stroke dementia, epilepsy patients.

“Brain health is a critical aspect of overall health. Diseases affecting the brain are the single most important cause of disability and second most cause of death in the world,” said NIMHANS director Dr Pratima Murthy. KaBHI is the first of its kind initiative in India with the objective to promote brain health in the community from primary health centres to secondary level district hospitals and NIMHANS at the tertiary level. It was launched on January 25 this year by Dr Sudhakar. Chief Minister Bommai, in his budget speech, had announced the initiation of the pilot projects on brain health in Kolar, Chikkaballapura and Bengaluru South.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com