Neurosurgery in India: Ponder upon the Success and Challenges

According to a report published by the World Health Organisation in 2018, “ Neurological disorders, public health Challenges”, about 1 billion people living around the globe suffer from neurological disorders such as stroke, headache, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, brain injuries, neuro infections, and Parkinson’s disease. Furthermore, about 6.8 million people die from these disorders. 

Another study conducted in India indicates that approximately 30 million people die every year annually from the above-stated neurosurgical disorders. And a higher proportion of these diseases are found in rural areas compared to urban places. Consequently, as a result of a paradigm shift in disease burden, India now faces new challenges in neurosurgical care. 

As per the report, India had about 1800 neurosurgeons for a population of 1.27 billion people. Back then, out of the 330 approved medical colleges, only 59 neurosurgical departments were recognized for an MCh Neurosurgery training program. Some of the national institutes, such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), have well-established infrastructure and systems of training. Whereas most of the government hospitals and medical colleges didn’t have the basic neurological infrastructure. Hence, they were deemed incapable of providing neurosurgical training and medical attention to people in need. 

However, the numbers have changed with time. Recently, India is at the forefront of development with significant progress and rapid industrialization. This development has also paved the way for Neurological science in the country, and today, India has about 2500 qualified neurosurgeons for a population of 1.38 billion people. Let’s learn more about how the Neurosurgery Society of India has helped established standards and expanded its horizons. 

The Neurological Society of India was the country’s first-ever neurological society. Established in 1951 by four young and visionary neurologists, the society brought the disciplines associated with Neurology under one roof. Gradually, with time, various subspecialty societies, including the Skull Base Surgery Society, Society for Paediatric Neurosurgery, Neurotraumatology Society of India, Society for Paediatric Neurosurgery, and Cerebrovascular Society of India, also established to cater to the specific needs of subspeciality. In 1992, the Indian Academy of Neurology was founded in response to the dominance of neurosurgeons in the Neurological Society of India. Since then, several societies emerged, but the Neurological Society of  India continues to be the leader,  demonstrating the requirement for an integrative approach to Neurological sciences. 

Now various infrastructure-proof neurosurgical centres have been established across tier-1 and tier- 11 cities in India. However, the majority of the Indian population resides in rural areas and small towns, which have limited access to diagnosis and treatment. 

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