Singapore Epilepsy Congress

• Dr. Andrew Pan first spoke about the purpose of this first session, and then he spoke about ‘Epilepsy: Not just another medical disease’. He introduced the medical aspects, psychological dimensions, social barriers, and family problems.
• Dr. Choong Chew Thye, The Paediatric Neurologist and The President of Epilepsy Care Group, spoke on ‘Children and Epilepsy’. The most important points she mentioned are: To minimize the seizures, maximize the child’s quality of life. And she told how effective is the counselling for patients and parents before starting the medication.
• Dr. Mike Hills from New Zeeland spoke on ‘Education and Epilepsy’. Dr. Mike is the professor of psychology. He himself is living with epilepsy from childhood. That’s why he always speaks about epilepsy in his lectures. He speaks individually with the students living with epilepsy. Dr. Mike Hills’s lecture was very interesting, because his knowledge is not at all the bookish knowledge, it stems from his own experience. The session ended with the open discussion.
• The next topic was ‘Employment’. First Dr. Marshal Mo–Song HSIH from Taiwan spoke about the patient’s problems about the employment in Taiwan. He told about what patient has to improve to be an employee. I.e. state of illness, personality, ability, attitude etc. Ms Lieng Sheau Yea, the head of Employment Placement Division from Singapore spoke about The Employment Opportunities in Singapore. She told how they try to improve the personality of a person, who is living with epilepsy. This also helps him/her to get a job and make living. The session ended with the open discussion.
• After the lunch and video presentation the lecture’s and discussion’s topic was ‘Driving and Epilepsy’. First Mr Mike Glynn from USA started this topic, in which he told how difficult is to tell about driving rules in U.S. Because in every state, the rules about the licence are different. In some states people with epilepsy can drive if they are not getting attacks from 3 months to 18 months. But in some states it’s strictly prohibited. Mr Edmond Pereria, the famous lawyer from Singapore told the most strict rules of ‘Driving and epilepsy’ in Singapore. In Singapore, a person with epilepsy can not do driving even if his/her attacks are totally in controlled. It is totally ban. The licence offices always have a list of epileptic patients in the country. So, applying for the licence is also taken as breaking the rules! This session ended with the interactions and the participant’s sharing.
• After the Tea break, the session’s subject was ‘Women and Epilepsy’, which was conducted by Dr. Andrew Pan, the consultant neurologist and the Epileptologist in Singapore. He told in detail about the side–effects of the epilepsy’s medications on women. Ms Anchor Hung, the founder and the adviser of The Hong Kong Epilepsy Association continued the related topic ‘Family and marital relationship’. She told how the person with epilepsy needs the self esteem, self confidence, and the social awareness. In the end of the topic, Mrs Yashoda shared her experience about the marriage. She also told how you can survive with your self confidence.
• In the end of the Symposium, Dr. Andrew Pan read the concluding remarks of all the sessions in the day.
• In the evening a nice dinner was arranged by Singapore Epilepsy Foundation. That was not only the dinner, but people from all that countries sang the songs of their countries, in their own languages. Indians also sang some group songs and some Hindi songs. That was ended with Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite pray, ‘Vaishnav Jan To tene kahiye…’

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