Patients with brain, spinal and nerve conditions can rest assured that there is a specialist neurosurgeon right here in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
As a neurosurgeon, Dr Kritish Timakia offers a full range of non-operative and operative treatment of conditions affecting the brain, spinal cord and nervous system. This includes brain or spinal trauma, tumors, infections, pain management and cranial trauma, among others.
With a private practice based in Richards Bay, Dr Timakia operates at Life Empangeni Private Hospital, as well as all the other major hospitals in the area. Communities as far as Vryheid and Ulundi make use of his services, and he has seen numerous local success cases since his relocation to the area in 2018.
‘Patients should know that there is no need to leave Zululand to seek help from a neurosurgeon. We have state-of-the-art facilities and a network of seasoned specialists who are in constant communication with one another,’ Dr Timakia says.
Stroke Week: 28 October to 3 November
With Stroke Week being commemorated from 28 October to 3 November, Dr Timakia urges patients to seek immediate help when they experience any of the symptoms of a stroke.
Signs of a stroke
- Face Drooping: If one side of the face is numb or droops. Ask the person to smile – is the smile uneven or lopsided?
- Arm Weakness: Ask the person to lift both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Slurred Speech: Is the person unable to speak or difficult to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence.
- Time to Call an ambulance. Get medical help as soon as possible!
‘It is paramount that a patient suffering from any of these symptoms be taken to a hospital as soon as possible,’ says Dr Timakia, ‘Even if it not a stroke, it could be a spectrum of other brain injuries. We will examine the patient and bring in the correct specialist to provide immediate treatment.’
Other unusual or worrying symptoms such as unexplained headaches, confusion, loss of eye sight or field depth, constant nausea, loss of taste and trembling, should also be checked out.
‘We are here to save people’s lives and to give them the best possible outcome,’ says Dr Timakia. ‘Seeing a patient from the time of first contact until the successful management of their condition is all the reward I am grateful for.’
