The Elgeyo Marakwet county medical director of health Dr. Isaac Kipyego has cautioned epilepsy patients against using traditional herbs alongside conventional medicine in the management of the condition.
Dr. Kipyego who was speaking during a 3-day free epilepsy medical camp at Cheptebo rural development centre said some patients, out of misguided traditional belief that having epilepsy means they are bewitched sometimes use conventional prescribed drugs and also traditional medicine in the hope they will get better.
The medic said the condition is not associated in anyway with witchcraft saying it was a medical condition which is caused by an infection to the brain due to either a fall or depravation of oxygen and blood caused by delay during birth.
The medic therefore called on patients to visit health facilities for proper diagnosis to know the cause and get the relevant medicine noting that for those with mild attacks, they can get healed if they seek treatment early.
He called on patients to strictly adhere to taking the drugs by the dosage as prescribed as they regulate the brain function adding that some patients stop taking drugs once the seizures stop. He warned this could be counterproductive and asked them to stop only on a doctor’s advice.
Cheptebo director Joseph Kimeli called on the government to train the Community Health Volunteers on epilepsy management so that they can advise residents saying most people lock the patients in instead of seeking treatment.
He said the centre has partnered with the county government who have provided medics and drugs for the medical camp since 2015.
Kimeli said to date over 1,500 patients have been treated with the number increasing every year observing they receive patients from all over the country.
One of the patients Frederick Kandagor from Baringo county said he has suffered from the disease since 2001 which has led him to losing his teeth, jobs and even relationships. He reported that he had heard about the camp from other patients who had gotten reprieve and decided to seek treatment.
By Alice Wanjiru
