Fra:

Solomon Moshe [mailto:[email protected]]

Sendt:

7. oktober 2011 21:55

Til:

Folketingets Oplysning

Emne:

Dianalund Epilepsy HospitalDear MembersIt is with great concern that the International League Against Epilepsy has received the distressing newsabout the impending closure of Dianalund Epilepsy Hospital, the only Epilepsy Centre in Denmark. Epilepsy isa very common disease that can have life long effects. The recently approved European Declaration onEpilepsy is a testament of the importance to bring awareness to government and health officials thatresearch and legislation remain key issues in alleviating the plight of people afflicted with this devastatingdisease, and to ensure that proper care is available to them.Because epilepsy is a multi faceted disease, any well-functioning system for delivery of epilepsy care mustinclude highly specialized referral centers capable of handling the needs of a diverse population, and provideadequate facilities for diagnosis and treatment care. These include prolonged combined video and EEGregistrations in the diagnostic field, specialized neuropsychological investigations and evaluation programsfor the selection for epilepsy surgery, including special imaging approaches. In the therapeutic field, thehighest level centers provide care for multiple handicapped individuals and for patients with non-epilepticpsychogenic and other seizures. They also offer vagus nerve and other brain stimulation therapies as well asketogenic diet for children with intractable seizures. The Dianalund Hospital is the only place in Denmarkwith the necessary resources and expertise to provide appropriate treatment care for most of theseconditions. In addition to its crucial role in the national health care for your country, the Danish EpilepsyCentre has also developed into an active and increasingly prolific research institution of excellentinternational renown, whose contributions to the scientific progress in epileptology would be an immenseloss if the Centre disappeared.It is generally assumed that in an adequate health system, one highest level epilepsy centre needs to beavailable for a population of 4 to 5 million inhabitants, about the population of Denmark. We are aware thatthe present situation is a result of changes in your health care system where five regions take responsibilityfor their population. It is, however, unrealistic to assume that expertise and facilities for highest levelepilepsy care can be built up in parallel for 5 subpopulations of about 1 million each. Furthermore, such asystem would not prove to be cost-effective.For these reasons, we urgently plead that you ensure the continuous existence and activities of the DanishEpilepsy Centre which represents an essential and crucial outlet for the epilepsy community in Denmark.Best regards