BENGALURU: Said to be the first-of-its-kind service in Karnataka, SPARSH Hospital in Bengaluru has started a stroke care ambulance service in Karnataka to aid the patient in getting treatment right from the get-go.
A mobile tele-stroke unit can be a boon to a patient who lives in a busy city or in a remote place. A doctor sitting at a hospital can examine the patient with audio-visual equipment, diagnose the type and cause of stroke, run basic blood tests, and even start the initial treatment right from the ambulance till they are brought to the hospital. With this new service in place, the team at SPARSH are optimistic about helping and healing a wider population.
“As more cells are damaged by the minute, more permanent damage is caused to the patient, affecting their motor skills, speech and language, and memory,” said Dr Michael Bronse, a World Health Organisation member, who was present at the launch. “Every one minute, three Indians suffer a stroke, with close to 90 per cent patients not being able to reach hospitals in time,” said Dr V R Nanjunaswamy of the Indian Stroke Association.
“Two out of three stroke patients can be fully revived if treatment reaches them on time,” Dr Vijay Nambiar said.
The helpline number is 080 - 61222000.