Dr Ishan Adhikari is a USA-board certified clinical neurologist and neurophysiologist with advanced specialization in epilepsy/seizures. After practicing in the US for 18 years, he returned to Nepal to found Medharma Clinix, a premier treatment center for epilepsy, neuromuscular diseases and autonomic disorders. Stuti Mittal of ApEx spoke to Adhikari about Medharma and its works.
What exactly is Medharma?
Medharma is a world-class research-driven facility with a broad range of specialties for the treatment and care of neurological diseases and conditions.
Our clinic provides the highest quality of care to patients throughout Nepal and South Asia. It was founded with a mission to provide the level of care available in the US.
We have a group of US-trained doctors to provide the best care to our patients.
What motivated you to return to Nepal?
I wanted to help those people suffering from various neurological and autonomic disorders. Take epilepsy. Globally, more than five million people are diagnosed with epilepsy every year and 80 percent of them live in low- and middle-income countries. They have limited access to appropriate treatments.
According to the WHO, epilepsy affects 1 percent of every country’s population. In Nepal, this translates to nearly 350,000 people. I wanted to help these patients. Epilepsy or any other neurological disorder affects not only the patients but their families as well. Epilepsy patients need to be constantly monitored, which lowers the quality of life for both patients as well as their caretakers. This results in undue financial burden on families as it decreases their productivity.
What are your plans for Medharma in the future?
Every year Nepalis spend a large amount of money in India and abroad for the treatment of rare medical conditions due to a lack of quality health facilities and experienced doctors at home. We can prevent this by inviting specialist doctors and surgeons from the US and other developed nations.
Besides, Medharma’s physicians are also mentoring medical students, researchers and public health professionals. The goal is to enhance their skills and knowledge by engaging them in collaborative projects established with renowned academic institutions in the US and the UK. Global Nepali Health and Research Center of Medharma has also established physician exchange programs with renowned universities in the US and the UK.
The objective of these exchange programs is to build a stronger and larger network of global health professionals to lift the health and wellbeing of low- and middle-income countries, including Nepal.
What in your view are the main challenges Nepal’s health sector faces?
First, we lack medical specialists. There are many Nepalis who have become experts in many fields of medicine, but we cannot attract them to Nepal due to limitations on the part of our health sector. Unfortunately, our country’s health facilities lack even basic medical equipment. Our survey has found that more than 70 percent of health facilities do not have an EEG machine, CT scan, or MRI.
The second challenge is the prevalent stigma and superstition. Seizure disorders are seen as a supernatural phenomenon and people have been found relying on rituals for treatment.
They do not seek medical help. A condition like epilepsy can be successfully treated in 70 percent patients and can be manageable in the remaining 30 percent. We need researched data in every field of medicine to guide experts.
How does Medharma plan on overcoming these challenges?
By relying on innovations in research and cutting-edge technologies that continue to revolutionize neurology. We are closer than ever to providing a real and lasting benefit to many patients suffering from complex and often devastating neurological disorders, especially epilepsy and neuromuscular disorders. Of course, this can only be achieved through capacity building, with training and education and enhanced community awareness programs. We have to remove the stigmas and taboos around neurological disorders.
How is Medharma unique from other health facilities?
Medharma provides comprehensive, world-class neurological clinical care. It is the first specialty clinic in the country devoted entirely to diagnosing and treating rare and uncommon nervous system disorders. Our neurological center is among the first to have a dedicated comprehensive clinical care program for epilepsy/seizure, neuromuscular and autonomic disorders in Nepal. We have advanced diagnostic technologies as well.
Through our partnership programs with Nepal League Against Epilepsy, Muscular Dystrophy Association of Nepal, Global Nepali Health and Research Center, and renowned institutions in the US and the UK, we ensure our patients the best treatment and support.
What are the core values of Medharma?
We believe in holistic treatment to improve the quality of life of our patients and their families. We are committed to exceptional patient care, training and research programs in neurology.
