PESHAWAR: More than 200 stroke patients have successfully been treated at Hayatabad Medical Complex with the help of a new injection.

The medical director of the hospital, Prof Shehzad Akbar Khan, told a ceremony here on Tuesday that HMC was the first public sector institution in Pakistan to provide thrombolysis treatment to such a significant number of stroke patients. The ceremony was held to mark the completion of treatment of 206 stroke patients at the hospital.

Prof Shehzad said that since the programme began in February 2022, the dedicated efforts of the hospital administration and trained stroke care team ensured successful recovery of patients. He said that patients received treatment at 50 per cent payment of injection at neurology department of the hospital under trained specialists.

He said the ischemic strokes account for 89 per cent of cases while haemorrhagic strokes comprised 13 per cent of the cases. He said that globally, 5.5 million people were affected by strokes annually.

The head of neurology department, Dr Mian Ayazul Haq, said that stroke survivors came on stretchers and wheelchairs to hospitals but went back healthy for homes without any support. He said that stroke was sudden onset of weakness in limbs or face, which was the most disabling disease of world.

He said that stroke caused deaths and disabilities. “It all depends on how quick a patient is shifted to hospital and administered the injection imported from abroad,” he added.

Dr Mian Ayaz said that the result of patients’ treatment depended on their early arrival at hospital and prompt treatment. He said that cure rate was as per global standard. “We are also imparting skills to our trainee doctors,” he added.

He said that they were requesting government to include the injections in Sehat Card Plus programme so all the patients could get it. He said that patients were discharged from hospital on average after five days, depending on their condition.

The adviser to chief minister on health, Ihtisham Ali, promised to include thrombolysis treatment in SCP scheme. He said that health and education were top priorities of government. “The government is working on digitisation to improve overall service delivery,” he added.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2024