Deans' stroke musings: Addressing the deficiencies in stroke care in Pakistan

Changing stroke rehab and research worldwide now.Time is Brain! trillions and trillions of neurons that DIE each day because there are NO effective hyperacute therapies besides tPA(only 12% effective). I have 523 posts on hyperacute therapy, enough for researchers to spend decades proving them out. These are my personal ideas and blog on stroke rehabilitation and stroke research. Do not attempt any of these without checking with your medical provider. Unless you join me in agitating, when you need these therapies they won't be there.

What this blog is for:

My blog is not to help survivors recover, it is to have the 10 million yearly stroke survivors light fires underneath their doctors, stroke hospitals and stroke researchers to get stroke solved. 100% recovery. The stroke medical world is completely failing at that goal, they don't even have it as a goal. Shortly after getting out of the hospital and getting NO information on the process or protocols of stroke rehabilitation and recovery I started searching on the internet and found that no other survivor received useful information. This is an attempt to cover all stroke rehabilitation information that should be readily available to survivors so they can talk with informed knowledge to their medical staff. It lays out what needs to be done to get stroke survivors closer to 100% recovery. It's quite disgusting that this information is not available from every stroke association and doctors group.

Friday, August 16, 2024

Addressing the deficiencies in stroke care in Pakistan

You're missing the problem to solve in one word: 'CARE' NOT RECOVERY OR RESULTS! Until you realize that survivors will never get to 100% recovery! Are you that blitheringly stupid?

Addressing the deficiencies in stroke care in Pakistan

Published:August 17, 2024DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01443-0

Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and disability worldwide. In Pakistan, the response to stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) is currently inadequate, presenting substantial challenges to the health-care system. Despite being the sixth most populous country, Pakistan lacks comprehensive stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!), leading to preventable morbidity and mortality.

According to WHO, stroke is responsible for about 9·7% of all deaths in the country, translating to approximately 141 432 deaths annually.

The incidence of stroke in Pakistan is estimated to be around 250 per 100 000 people per year, which means roughly 350 000 new cases of stroke occur each year.

The health-care system in Pakistan is not equipped to handle the acute and long-term needs of stroke patients effectively. There is a crucial shortage of stroke units, neurologists, and rehabilitation facilities essential for proper stroke management. For instance, there are only about ten stroke units across the country, and fewer than six centres offer intravenous thrombolysis, a crucial treatment for acute ischaemic stroke.

The current health-care infrastructure is not equipped to handle the needs of stroke patients. There is a scarcity of imaging machines available, with only 80 CT scanners and 19 MRI machines that are mostly concentrated in major cities.

⁴

⁵

Additionally, the absence of a national registry for stroke patients hampers the collection of accurate data, which is crucial for planning and improving services. Pakistan needs more neurologists, stroke specialists, and trained health-care providers. The country has fewer than 200 neurologists, which is far too few for its large population.

⁶

There is also a shortage of allied health professionals, such as physiotherapists and speech therapists, who are essential for the rehabilitation of stroke survivors.

⁷

Investing in more stroke units, especially in rural and underserved areas, is essential. Ensuring that all major hospitals have the necessary diagnostic equipment, such as CT and MRI scanners, and establishing quick triage and treatment protocols can improve patient outcomes. Increasing the number of trained neurologists and health-care providers through targeted training programmes and incentives can help fill the gap in specialised care(NOT RECOVERY!). Collaborating with international institutions for training and certification programmes can enhance the skills of local health-care professionals.

Improving stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!) in Pakistan requires joint efforts from the Government, health-care providers, and the community. By addressing the current gaps and implementing strategic interventions, Pakistan can substantially enhance the quality of stroke care(NOT RECOVERY!), reduce mortality, and improve the quality of life for stroke survivors.