Stroke centre opens in RAK
Ahmed Shaaban / 20 May 2012
The specialised Acute Stroke Unit set up at the RAK Hospital will be a boon to patients since only three per cent of patients with brain attacks manage to reach the hospital on time for effective treatment.
A stroke or brain attack occurs when a blood clot blocks the blood flow in a vessel or artery or when a blood vessel breaks, interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain.
It is critical that the patient be attended to within one to three hours, or the Golden Hour in order to reverse the damage. Beyond that, the damage may be permanent, said Dr Hillol K Pal, Head - Neurosurgery department at RAK Hospital. The consequences of a stroke can be cruel, lifelong, painful and impairing, leading to loss of livelihood or family life, drastically affecting the quality of life or causing immediate death.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Dr Pal said there was a need to start the stroke unit because 25 per cent of the Ras Al Khaimah population is diabetic and also suffer from hypertension, which means one in four people are at risk. Since the start of the unit, the RAK Hospital has received 12 stroke patients, out of which five actually reached within the Golden Hour (they had reached within 1 hour).
Urging everybody to Be Stroke Smart, Dr Pal has asked people to be aware of the 3Rs of stroke: Reduce risk, Recognise symptoms, and Respond by calling the nearest hospital equipped with an Acute Stroke Unit.
Statistically, only three per cent of acute stroke patients worldwide actually reach the hospital on time for any meaningful treatment and hence it becomes important to educate people about stroke, its causes, symptoms and treatments.
Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director, RAK Hospital, said the stroke unit consists of a team of specialised medical professionals working round the clock.
Since its launch in March, this unit has successfully treated many brain stroke cases effectively, providing life-saving emergency care to the people of Ras Al Khaimah and the nearby emirates.
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Stroke centre opens in RAK