KARACHI, April 14: A national epilepsy centre is under construction with the support of the Department of Neurology, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, by a Karachi-based NGO, the Neurology Research Fund.

The head of the Department of Neurology, Dr Shaukat Ali, told PPI on Wednesday that this would be second national epilepsy centre in Asia with the first in India. He said that this project would be completed by the end of 2004 with an estimated cost of Rs30 million.

He said this centre would be inter-linked with other epilepsy centres throughout the country via internet and guidelines and suggestions would be provided online wherever needed.

The national epilepsy centre would have a three-storey building in the department of neurology, Ward 28 of the JPMC, and would provide epilepsy patients with modern facilities from diagnosis to treatment at nominal charges, he added.

Dr Shaukat Ali said the centre would serve as a filter clinic round the clock because patients would be referred from the Department of Neurology and it would also have its OPD, EEG monitoring and operation theatre for surgeries.

He said all facilities would be provided on the premises of the hospital and there would be no transportation expenses for patients. The JPMC would provide medical experts to run this centre while other expenses would be borne by the NGO, he added.

He said medical experts including Prof Hassan Aziz, Dr Waseem, Dr Zareen Mughal, Dr Fowzia and Prof I. H. Bhatti would provide diagnosis and checkup facilities to patients. - PPI