Awareness about Laws amongst Patients visiting Epilepsy Clinic of a Tertiary Neurosciences Hospital: An Observational Study

According to World Health Organization (WHO), “Epilepsy is one of the oldest conditions known to mankind”. The present study has been carried out to assess the awareness about law amongst individuals having epilepsy.

This is an overview of the conflict that exists between the legal system and persons with epilepsy in India.

This study has been conducted through questionnaire method distributed amongst people visiting the epilepsy clinic of a tertiary neurosciences hospital.

None of the respondents were aware about laws for epileptic patients. Few had driving license although they had concealed their condition during the training. Some of them were married; however divorce rates were high amongst females. Nobody had faced legal hassles but was of the opinion that the state needs to do a lot for them. There are still many goals to meet, which require the united efforts from the parents, persons with epilepsy, the Indian Epilepsy Association and the legal fraternity.

According to Indian Law epilepsy is a state of temporary insanity. Repeated petition to the government by the Indian epilepsy association have not borne fruitful results.