KARACHI: The National Guidelines for Epilepsy to help physicians to diagnose epileptic seizures and fits in patients and prescribe them inexpensive and effective drugs were launched on Sunday. Launching ceremony was the part of 16th ‘International Neurology Update 2016’ that concluded here in Karachi. The moot was told that there were around 200 trained neurologists for over two million epileptics in Pakistan. Majority of them could not get proper treatment for their neurological condition, although the disease was treatable with cheap and effective drugs available in Pakistan. Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Fauzia Siddiqui, renowned neurologist and lead author of the guidelines, said that the guidelines have been designed to assist primary-care physicians in diagnosing epilepsy and providing its treatment. Guidelines would also help physicians in prescribing first, second and third generation Anti-Epileptic Drugs (AEDs). Dr. Fauzia presented the epilepsy treatment guidelines for adult males, women and children separately and claimed that general physicians not only can identify and diagnose 70 percent of the patients with epileptic seizures, but also can treat them with medicines, which were readily available in the local market. “These guidelines are aimed at minimizing inappropriate or inadequate treatment method, identify preventable etiologies, make individualize selections for women and children with epilepsy, advice about pregnancy and contraception. Guidelines for electing AEDs in elderly are also provided with common drug interactions”, she informed. The neurologist, however, deplored that ‘absence epilepsy’, a very common, but treatable form of epilepsy could be treated with a cheap drug, which was not present in Pakistan and urged Pakistani pharmaceutical companies to start manufacturing the drug ‘Ethosuximide’, which is used to treat absence seizures among children. Consultant Neurologist from United Kingdom, Dr. Fayyaz Ahmed Shaikh, Chairman, of the Neurology Update, Prof. Muhammad Wasey also spoke to the occasion.