Dubai’s only dedicated 24/7 stroke unit in Rashid Hospital has obtained an international accreditation for the establishment and functioning of a stroke unit that follows European protocols and standards.

The accreditation makes Rashid Hospital in only one in world outside the European Union to get this accreditation.

The Rashid Stroke unit was established in early 2012 and on an average 500 patients have been admitted with a stroke per year- of these 150 needed acute stroke management

At Arab Health 2012, the DHA and the German State of Rheinland-Pfalz first announced their cooperation in the field of stroke management and qualification. One major step in the cooperation was the establishment of a certified Stroke Unit according to the European Stroke Organization Guidelines and this accreditation fulfills that requirement.


Essa Al Maidoor, director-general of the DHA said: “We are very proud of Rashid Hospital for obtaining this accreditation and for functioning of a dedicated stroke unit that follows international protocols. It is the DHA’s aim to promote international accreditations in the medical field- both in the private and the public sector. This accreditation will help reaffirm the high standards of care that Dubai adheres to.”

He said in future the DHA plans to open a completely dedicated neuro-spinal centre in the premises of the new Rashid Hospital complex.

Dr Suhail Al Rukn, neurologist and head of stroke unit at Rashid Hospital, said: “Accreditations are important to ensure we follow highest level of medical care. Establishing a stroke unit was of vital importance because from the time a person gets a stroke, the brain damage is very quick and therefore universally accepted stroke protocols and management help limit the damage that can be caused by the stroke.

“An adult brain has a total of five to six billion brain cells, when a stroke occurs, brain cells start to die. It has been estimated that 1.9 million brain cells die per minute in a stroke case. Therefore, the level of disability can be quite severe as the effects of a stroke on the body are immediate.

 “In terms of stroke care, time is crucial and a dedicated stroke unit directly leads to better patient outcomes.”

Stroke is third leading cause of death in the world  and the main reason for adult disability. In the UAE, after road accidents, it is the second leading cause of disability. Annually 7000-8000 patients in the UAE get a stroke; this means every hour, one person gets a stroke.  Internationally the number is 100 to 120 cases per 100,000 so we are within the international range; however, unfortunately in the UAE stroke patients are much younger than those in western countries.

Al Rukn said, “Abroad the average age of a stroke is above 65 years, here it is 45 years. The reasons  for people getting a stroke at such a young age in the UAE is multifactorial – a high percentage of our population suffers from diabetes and hypertension. Obesity is huge problem in our population and so is sedentary lifestyle – all these are triggers that can lead to a stroke.”

Rashid Hospital’s stroke unit is the only dedicated stroke unit in Dubai which functions round- the -clock. The other dedicated stroke unit is in Al Ain. – TradeArabia News Service