Epilepsy Foundation launches education and training campaign

The Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana has started a campaign to raise awareness and train local doctors to treat those affected by the brain disorder.

Dr. Andrea Lambert, Director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana, told Stabroek News last week that two doctors from the United Kingdom were brought to Guyana to spearhead the initiative.

“We wanted to do a few things in Guyana for people living with epilepsy and bringing the appropriate management and training to the doctors in Guyana so they can understand and will be able to manage the seizures,” Lambert said.

Towards this end, two doctors from the United Kingdom, Dr. Laura Mantoan, Adult Neurologist, and Dr. Lyvia Dabydeen, Child Neurologist, were brought here to raise awareness about the disorder and to provide training to local medical personnel.

“This is our big initiative. Bringing the paediatric and adult neurologist to Guyana so they can help train the doctors across the country,” Lambert said.

Lambert noted that the two doctors, who volunteered their services and time, were able to travel to Guyana as a result of a grant that was awarded to the Foundation by Guyana Goldfields, which paid for their travel.

Dr. Andrea Lambert (left), Director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana, Dr. Lyvia Dabydeen (seated at left), Dr. Laura Mantoan (seated at right), and Dr. Mallika Mootoo, Vice-President of Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana
Dr. Andrea Lambert (left), Director of the Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana, Dr. Lyvia Dabydeen (seated at left), Dr. Laura Mantoan (seated at right), and Dr. Mallika Mootoo, Vice-President of Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana

Since last week they have conducted outreach activities at Success Elementary School and Marian Academy, where they taught students how to treat someone who is having a seizure. They also visited several clinics and hosted lectures for medical school students and doctors.

The programme has been very successful so far, Lambert said, since the turnout has been tremendous. She added that there are several long term goals that the organisation is working towards, including bringing an Electroencephalogram (EEG) machine to Guyana to differentiate types of seizures; getting more medication to fight the disorder; and working towards an exchange programme where doctors and technologists would be able to go to King’s College in the UK to learn how to use and interpret EEG results. “Of course, we would love to bring back these two doctors to teach again and train across Guyana because we can’t get everything done in one trip,” Lambert added.

Lambert also said the Ministry of Public Health has been playing a vital role in supporting the initiative. “We spoke to Minister [George] Norton and he’s offered his full support to the programme. In fact, he asked us to go further out into the regions, such as Bartica and New Amsterdam. We didn’t request any monetary assistance but the Ministry has offered to provide transportation,” she noted, while pointing out that the programme would be taken to Berbice, Enmore, and Bartica in the coming days.

Meanwhile, Dr Dabydeen noted that epilepsy is a very common disease, with at least one in 200 people affected by it. “I think we want to get the message to the people that it is treatable. It is common and it is treatable and we can’t treat it if you don’t come out and make yourself known that you are epileptic,” she added.

She said they are aiming at alleviating the stigma that surrounds the disorder and are hoping to get the information to people that it is a brain disorder that no one can predict and no one can blame anyone for. “It’s so common that at least one person in every school will be affected by it and we are promoting awareness because people do develop it from accidents and injuries and there are serious misconceptions about dealing with the disorder,” she said. She noted that while many think that it is wise to put a spoon or other objects in someone’s mouth while they are having a seizure, it should not be done. “You should also move away chairs and any other objects that the person can fall and hit, lay them on their side when they are having an attack and if they do have an attack for more than five minutes then you should call an ambulance,” she stated. Dr Dabydeen added that while 50 million people worldwide suffer from the disorder, 85% of them are in low and middle income countries since brain infections that are not treated can lead to the disorder. Dr Mantoan lauded the project and recalled four years ago when Dr Thomas Singh, who registered the Foundation last year, approached her and told her about what he was working on. She said that they thought the best way to help people would be to bring a teaching programme and essentially train local doctors and people in remote areas to treat and deal with the disorder.

Mantoan hinted the campaign could be expanded to other countries, while noting that at the rate it is currently going, they may be motivated to take it further.