Reaching out to those with epilepsy

For epilepsy patients who live in rural areas, coming to see a doctor at the Chulabhorn Epilepsy Centre in Bangkok can be a headache. Epileptics cannot travel alone due to the unpredictable nature of the seizures. And even when accompanied, the exhaustion of the journey can, in some cases, even trigger a seizure.

Take Pornpan Pengpang, a 47-year old woman living in Lop Buri, who's been suffering from seizures since she was 14.

Pornpan lives with her elderly father and says that while she and her dad are grateful for all the help she's received from the Centre over the years, they are really appreciative of its Raindrops to Grassroots (R2G) initiative.

"I used to feel very discouraged because my daughter will never be free from this disease and after I die, there will be no one to care for her," he says.

To set his mind at rest, Pornpan wrote to the epilepsy centre seeking assistance through the Raindrops to Grassroots project, which helps rural epilepsy patients through the Internet.

R2G aims to alleviate the financial costs and health risks incurred by epilepsy patients in remote rural areas while allowing them to receive standard epilepsy treatment delivered through consultations in cyberspace.

The Internet network provides live and visual communication with local medical professionals such as rural doctors, nurses under the Ministry of Public Health and the Thai Red Cross Society.

Last month, staff from the CEC went to Lop Buri to work on Pornpan's case.

During the trip, another two new patients also asked to join the project. They'd heard about it from Chatchai Muanthong, a former epilepsy patient of the Chulalongkorn Comprehensive Epilepsy Programme (CCEP) under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Chulabhorn.

Chatchai, who is now free of seizures after being treated surgically at the centre stopped taking anti-epilepsy drugs six months ago. He works as a teacher in Lop Buri and is a volunteer for the R2G in the province.

After their medical histories were screened, Pornpan and the two new applicants sat in video conference with Associate Professor Chaichon Locharernkul, a specialist in epileptology and the director of the CEC. All were then prescribed proper anti-epileptic drugs and recommendations made for suitable education.

Dr Nataporn Prakob, a physician from Lop Buri Provincial Hospital and personnel from the Lop Buri Provincial Health Office, provided assistance to the project.

This is an excellent initiative that provides timely assistance to epileptics in provincial areas," he says.

>> Information provided courtesy of The Chulabhorn Epilepsy Centre.

>> Call (02) 574 0622 or visit www.CRI.or.th.