Saudi German Hospital (SGH) Riyadh, one of the largest private hospitals with a capacity of 300 beds, recently its first stroke unit in partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, a top pharmaceutical company.

The stroke unit, which is part of the hospital’s neurology department, provides immediate medical care for stroke patients with all types of stroke. The current capacity of stroke units at the hospital includes four beds and will increase to 6 by the end of Ramadan.

The opening of the new stroke unit is part of Boehringer Ingelheim’s Mena Stroke Initiative ‘Making every second count’, a subdivision of the company’s global Angels program that is dedicated for the Mena region and managed by a group of renowned neurologists in the region.

The programme has three major objectives, which focus on accelerating the decreasing door to needle times- which is the interval between patient’s arrival to the hospital and starting the treatment; support in establishing a dedicated stroke unit in hospitals which will directly lead to faster and better patient outcomes and raising as well as increasing the awareness of proper stroke management amongst the public and healthcare professionals.

In Saudi Arabia, stroke incidence rate is estimated to be 186/100,000 population, and it is the cause of 5,000 deaths a year. There is a need to monitor the food habits and life style of the youngsters in the country so that stroke can be kept in check.

Dr Mahmoud Sabry, head of Stroke Unit at SGH Riyadh said: “The longer a stroke remains untreated, the greater the chance of brain damage occurs. Emergency medical treatment is key to improve the chance of survival and effective rehabilitation. The opening of our new stroke unit reflects the hospital’s commitment to working with its partners such as Boehringer Ingelheim to increase awareness of stroke team inside the hospital, train them and work on their expertise to treat stroke patients addressing the rising prevalence of stroke in the Kingdom.”

SGH Riyadh’s medical director, Mohamed Rashad said: “Establishing a stroke unit in the SGH Riyadh is an important step towards providing better stroke management and care for our patients. Boehringer Ingelheim’s MENA Stroke Initiative is an enabler of this objective, with an ultimate aim of equipping stroke centers across the region with protocols and training so we don’t lose lives due to the time lead needed to reach to the nearest center.”

Symptoms of stroke can include sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arms or legs on one side of the body, as well as speech impairment, trouble with eye sight, loss of balance as well as severe headache. Experts stressed that F.A.S.T is an easy way to remember the sudden signs of stroke, which reflects face dropping, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time to call for support.

Rapid diagnosis to determine the stroke and immediate medical treatment (in less than 60 minutes, known as the Golden Hour) will reduce chances of further complications. A dedicated stroke unit in hospitals, with a committed medical setting and physicians, specialized nurses, and other ancillary personnel with ample training and experience in stroke management can further reduce the home-to-treatment time. – TradeArabia News Service