4 min readSep 21, 2022 04:30 PM IST
First published on: Sep 21, 2022 at 04:30 PM IST
On World Alzheimer’s Day on Wednesday, Bengaluru’s National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (Nimhans) and the Rotary Club of Bangalore Midtown organised a memory-screening camp at the Jayanagar general hospital to spread awareness about dementia and brain health.
The Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (KaBHI) was launched in January by the health department in collaboration with Nimhans to improve the care for people with neurological diseases such as dementia. In March, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai announced pilot projects on brain health in the districts of Kolar, Chikkaballapura, and Bangalore South.
“As part of the project, primary healthcare doctors in all three districts have been trained by specialists at Nimhans and brain health clinics have been established at district hospitals to improve access to diagnosis, strengthen referrals and ensure post-diagnostic support for persons living with dementia and their families not just in urban but also rural communities. The goal is also to integrate and coordinate different government policies and initiatives for older persons, non-communicable and mental disorders, and disabilities to implement a strong supportive network for families and persons living with dementia,” said Dr Suvarna Alladi, professor and head of the department of neurology.
“Only 1 in 10 persons with dementia receive any diagnosis, treatment, or care in India. This large treatment gap is due to a lack of awareness, stigma, limited availability and accessibility to health services, in addition to a significant shortage of multidisciplinary care specialists trained to diagnose and treat dementia. Furthermore, there is minimal care and support provided to patients and their families. The screening camp is a first of its kind. We ask a set of questions in Hindi, English and Kannada and through this we diagnose if the dementia is mild, moderate, severe or no dementia. We conducted memory-screening camps and brain health awareness activities at the SNR Hospital, Kolar, on September 20 and the Chikkaballapur district hospital on September 19,” she said.
Health commissioner Randeep D told indianexpress.com that the neurological disorders come with a stigma and that people feel there is no hope. “The whole idea is to tell people to get diagnosed early because these are the most common things we see even in our own families. Even if complete reversal is not possible, with the best medical intervention, meditation will be provided. Under the KaBHI project we are following hub-and-spoke model in which basic treatment could be given to the patients at the PHC (primary health centre) level. The Jayanagar general hospital will be at the secondary level for the treatment and Nimhans at the tertiary level. We are convinced that the project could be spread in all the other 31 districts not only for dementia but for all other brain health-related issues,” he said.
A team of researchers from Nimhans and Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society of India have authored a research paper titled “Cultural implications for people living with dementia and their family in the Indian context”. It is part of the World Alzheimer Report 2022 released on Wednesday. The paper stated that efforts from healthcare systems as well as governmental and non-governmental organisations could contribute toward developing equitable solutions and enhancing the well-being of people living with dementia and their families. The paper has been shared with the health department.
The paper estimates the treatment gap for dementia to be more than 90 per cent and says the assumption that dementia is a natural progression of age-related frailty leads to delays in getting medical care. “The stigma remains high and often prevents people from seeking diagnosis or support, leading to social isolation. Even among professionals and healthcare providers,” lead author of the paper, Alladi, said.
The research paper said, “[D]ementia diagnosis relies heavily on reports of family caregivers, who are less likely to report memory loss and poor cognitive abilities… “. Reliance on traditional home remedies also causes delay in proper treatment, it added.
“Risk factors for dementia such as hypertension and diabetes are highly prevalent in India.. A few studies from India have found yoga, meditation, and Indo-Mediterranean diet as a protection against dementia. It is therefore important to increase awareness and institute preventive public health strategies relevant to the Indian context,” the paper said.
A memory-screening camp setup at the Jayanagar general hospital to spread awareness about dementia and brain health (Express photo) 
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