Experts stress early treatment of stroke

LAHORE : Medical experts at a seminar informed the audience that there are an estimated number of 4.5 million patients of stroke in Pakistan, which is considered the biggest reason for disability in the world.

The medical experts were speaking at a seminar on “Stroke is fatal – treatment and rehabilitation is possible” organised by Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Memorial Society (MKRMS), Jang Group of Newspapers, in collaboration with “Stroke Clinic” at a local hotel on Monday.

Punjab Governor Ch Muhammad Sarwar at the seminar said at least 15 to 20 per cent people were suffering from hepatitis, and 80 per cent people don’t have access to clean drinking water. “There is shortage of appropriate healthcare services in public sector hospitals,” he added.

He observed that stoke and paralysis attacks sometimes prove fatal, while mostly it causes disability, which eventually renders entire family paralysed. He lamented unavailability of clean drinking water for majority of the masses and said it had been observed in the rural areas and villages where water filtration plants had been installed enrollment and attendance of students in schools had been increased.

He said that he had been working on health and education in Pakistan for the last 20 years, and now his target was to ensure provision of clean drinking water to people in the next five years.

Consultant Spine and Pain Physician Dr Shahzad Anwar, in his opening remarks, said that stroke attacks were increasing among people, saying that the family or patients must immediately get treatment on appearing of any signs of stroke or paralysis because it enhances the chances of recovery. He said that Stroke Clinic was Pakistan’s first research clinic on stroke, which has an expert team of specialists for treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients on modern lines. “The facilities including physical therapy, physical medicine and rehab medicine and speech therapy are available,” he added.

Pakistan Academy of Family Physicians (PAFP) President Dr Tariq Mahmood Mian said that the sedentary lifestyle including irregular sleep and meal times and lack of exercise were contributing to various diseases. He said that the males with a waist above 35 inches and females with a waist above 32 inches were obese and may contract diabetes.

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery Prof Dr Mian Azhar said that the stroke patient becomes helpless due to his malady, while the patient’s family and even society abandons the patient gradually too. “Tears of stroke patient are tears of helplessness,” he added.

Sports Medicine expert Dr Azam Hasan said that one or two members of the family have to give round the clock duty for taking care of the stroke patient, who himself eventually fell victim to psychological problems too.

Consultant Physical Medicine and Rehab Col (retd) Dr Zahid Rustam said that there was extreme shortage of Stroke Centres in comparison with the rising number of stroke patients in Pakistan, saying that establishment of a Stroke Clinic was a ray of hope for the stroke patients.

Physiotherapist and Rehab expert Dr Shahid Imran said that Stroke Clinic was a state-of-the-art centre for the treatment and rehabilitation of stroke patients, saying that there was a need to establish more stroke centres to cope the burden of disease among the people in the country.

Besides, cartoonist Javed Iqbal, Humaira Mubarak Bhatti from Home Economics University and Dr Ruba Zubair also spoke, while Consultant Spine and Pain Physician Dr Waqas Ashraf presented vote of thanks. Hafiz Marghub Ahmad Hamdani recited Quran and Na’at-e-Rasool (PBUH) while Chairman, MKRMS, Wasif Nagi conducted the seminar.