Speakers at a programme on Saturday stressed raising awareness among the people over specialised treatment of stroke and undertaking preventive measures for its recovery.
They came up with this remark in a roundtable discussion on "Stroke: Mass awareness and Immediate Treatment", jointly organised by Bangladesh Post and Impulse Hospital at the hospital's premises.
In his presentation, Dr Shahidullah, Associate professor of Neuro-Medine Department of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University and Senior Consultant in Neurology and Head of Stroke at the Impulse Hospital, said, "Stroke is the most common cause of adult disability and second-highest cause of death worldwide. But stroke is treatable."
The aim of stroke treatment is to reduce brain damage, preventing complications, and reducing the onset of disability and recurrence of stroke, he added.
Dr Shahidullah also said that a stroke should ideally be treated in a specialised stroke centre because it increases the chances of good recovery up to 14 per cent, according to a new study.
"If the stroke is due to blood clot and the patient arrives in hospital within hours, clot bursting drug may be advised to dissolve the clot and open up the blood vessels" said the neurologist.
"Clot bursting drug which is given within 3 to 4 hours after stroke got FDA approval in 1996, from then it is being used worldwide and in Bangladesh it is being marketed since April this year. It increases the chances of a good outcome by 30 per cent," he also added.
Urging to establish stroke centres in every distinguished area and to increase the number of doctors, the keynote speaker said "Both primary stroke centre and comprehensive stroke centre should take into consideration."
He added that "Ambulance service should be trained up about stroke and timing of treatment. Stroke service should be incorporated in emergency service 999."
Alongside he also focused on mass awareness about the misconceptions of heart attack and stroke among the people.
Former Vice-Chancellor of BSMMU Professor Anisul Haque stressed that prevention is best way to fight a stroke.
Focusing on the preventive side of the stroke, Principal Information Officer of Press Information Department (PID) Begum Kamrun Nahar said, the department should introduce campaigns creating awareness about the preventive measures for stroke.
"We have a large network across the country for raising awareness. We need to build a good coordination with participation of the stakeholders from government and different organisations in this regard."
The Director General of Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) Abul Kalam Azad said "Stroke is the top cause of the death in Bangladesh and 60 per cent for non-communicable diseases. We have very little knowledge about stroke including doctors. So awareness must be reached to the mass level."
Managing Director of Impulse Hospital Professor Dr. Zaheer Al-Amin delivered the welcome speech while Editor -in- Chief of Bangladesh Post Sharif Shahab Uddin chaired the session, reports UNB.
