Neurologists demand Stroke units at all hospitals

KARACHI - Neurologists have put a demand for establishing specialized Stroke units at major hospitals in Karachi and other districts.

Senior Neurologists of the country have also demanded the government to establish stroke units at tertiary-care hospitals in Karachi and other major cities of Pakistan, as well as district hospitals across the entire country, to save lives of thousands of people, who die or paralyze due to stroke every day in the country.

“Only two private hospitals in Karachi have stroke units, but unfortunately, no public sector hospital in entire Sindh has any stroke unit. The only public sector stroke unit is in PIMS Islamabad. We demand provincial governments to establish more such units at district level hospitals, especially at each teaching hospital in the country”, Senior Neurologist Prof. Muhammad Wasey Shakir told a news conference at Karachi Press Club (KPC) recently.

Neurologists said every day, 1000 persons including 550 women suffer from stroke in Pakistan, of which, 400 die, while a majority of the remaining 600 are left paralyzed for the whole life. But if they are given proper treatment within 48 hours of having a stroke, most of the lives can be saved and people can be rehabilitated, they added.

Accompanied by neurologists Dr. Nadir Ali Syed, Dr. Naila Shahbaz and Dr. Abdul Malik, Dr. Wasey said 400 persons die every day in the country due to stroke but they are not old people. In fact most of these people are bread earners of their families and women who take care of their growing children.

“We, the neurologists, share the deep sorrow and grief along with the entire nation on the massacre of innocent children who were butchered in Peshawar recently. But we also feel sorry for the 400 persons who die every day in the country and 600 who get paralyzed from a disease, which is largely preventable”, Prof. Dr. Wasey observed.

Senior brain experts on the occasion urged people to get their blood pressure and sugar monitored regularly, use medications to control both the diseases, avoid using excessive amount of table salt, adopt a healthy lifestyle by using balanced diet and exercise regularly to prevent themselves from stroke.

Another senior neurologist Dr. Nadir Ali Syed said another very common neurological disorder in Pakistan is Parkinson’s disease, which is unfortunately not diagnosed and its victims have to live their whole life with shaking hands and limbs.

“Parkinson’s disease is also a preventable disease but regretfully, around 4 million persons in Pakistan are suffering from this disorder, while most of the people are unaware of its causes, symptoms and its treatment and management”, he added.