Why in news? The Karnataka Brain Health Initiative (Ka-BHI) would be replicated at the national level as country does not have a model for brain health initiatives.

Highlights

• The Karnataka state government has launched the programme with the support of Nimhans and Niti Aayog.
• India’s first-of-its-kind brain health clinic was inaugurated at Bengaluru
• Objective : To promote brain health in the community from PHCs to secondary level district hospitals and NIMHANS at the tertiary level
• Under the pilot initiative : Bengaluru (South), Kolar and Chikkaballapur districts, 122 doctors in Primary Health Centres (PHCs) have been trained in neurological disorders and one Brain Health Clinic each has been set up in a district hospital in these districts.

What is the ka- BHI model?

• The initiative aims to address the shortage of doctors and facilities to treat neurological disorders, like stroke, dementia, epilepsy and headaches. This would also decongest Nimhans, where many now go for treatment of simpler illnesses too.
• It focuses on training ASHA workers to screen people for such mental health issues which greatly increases speed of diagnosis and treatment, potentially offering a complete cure to some of these diseases.

What does this clinics mainly serve ?

• It will serve as nodal centres to diagnose, treat, refer and follow-up patients with common neurological disorders and ensure that they receive multidisciplinary care, including counselling, physiotherapy, rehabilitation and disability benefits