The Last Leg

Unusually it was very cold wet and stormy in Delhi (not unlike the English weather we had been so delighted to leave behind!). After a quick freshen up we set off in a minibus to experience the true flavours of Delhi. We were dropped off in the old part of Delhi – it was extremely busy with many market stalls, traders, and small street vendors. We had a quick look around a fort in the city, similar to the Red Fort in Agra, before driving back to the hotel, in time for the evening programme.

The evening programme had been arranged by the MSSI Delhi branch and we arrived to TV cameras and a flurry of activity. After a quick interview Eli took the floor and spoke about the pathology of MS and treatments, including a section on possible future therapies. Dr Madhuri Behari, professor and head of neurology at the All India Institute of Medical Science, New Delhi then spoke about the prevalence of MS in ethnic communities and the different presentations of MS that have been documented. We have learnt that the prevalence of MS varies even between different Indian communities, such as Parsis and Hindis.

Dr Mendiratta, professor of neurology at GB Pant Hospital in Delhi, spoke about treatments in MS and it was apparent that availability of beta interferons was extremely limited and treatments used included mitoxantrone, azathioprine and a number of drugs used for epilepsy. We finished the evening with dinner with the MSSI Delhi and the delegates.