Dr Patty Francis
Epilepsy is a medical condition and diagnosis made when a person experiences a recurrent, unprovoked seizure. Epilepsy is most definitely not caused by psychiatric disorder, demonic possession, ancestral displeasure, or hormonal dysfunction
Dr Patty Francis is the current President of the Neurological Association of South Africa (NASA). She has a special interest in stroke treatment and is part of an acute stroke service at Umhlanga Hospital.
Her other special interests are headaches, MS, Parkinson’s disease, peripheral neuropathies, and dementia. In 2018, she was awarded the Angels Spirit of Excellence award for acute stroke care.
The neurologist says the premature death in epileptic patients is at least three times higher than the general population. She adds that one in every 100 persons is epileptic and 75% suffered their first seizure around age 20.
She says the wild increase in such deaths is due to lack of neurologists in the country. She says there is only one neurologist per 500 000 people and claimed that the population mistakes epilepsy for several conditions that are not medical.
“Epilepsy is a medical condition and diagnosis made when a person experiences a recurrent, unprovoked seizure. Epilepsy is most definitely not caused by psychiatric disorder, demonic possession, ancestral displeasure, or hormonal dysfunction,” says Francis.
The sudden unexpected death in epilepsy often happens during sleep, suspected to be caused by nocturnal seizures.