-APS Noorpuri
Chandigarh October 27: To mark World Brain Stroke Day a team of doctors from Ivy Hospital Mohali including Dr Vineet Saggar head neuroIntervention & endovascular surgery, Dr Jaspreet Singh Randhwa consultant neurosurgery, Dr Swati Garg consultant neurology & Pardeep Kumar Sharma consultant neurology launched a Stroke Helpline number 9988823456 here on Friday.
Dr Vineet Saggar said that Ivy Group of Hospitals is now running the biggest stroke program in entire Punjab in all its 5 hospitals in the state which are fully equipped with cath lab & comprehensive neuro teams.
Dr Pradeep Sharma said that stroke is now emerging as the new epidemic in India with 1.5 to 2.0 million new stroke cases being reported worldwide every year.
He further said that the actual numbers are bound to be higher , as many of these patients never reach health care facilities.
Everyday around 3000-4000 stroke happen in India and not more than 2-3% are treated. Worldwide incidence rate of stroke in 60-100 cases per 100,000 population per year, whereas in India it is close to 145-145 cases per 100,000/year, he informed.
Dr Jaspreet Singh Randhwa said that India accounts for 60 % of all stroke patients Globally. The reason for increased incidence in India is lack of awareness about the disease per se and the methods of prevention.
He also stated that strokes are responsible for more deaths annually than those attributed to AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria combined and yet it remains a silent epidemic.
Now because of a new technique called mechanical thrombectomy, which is available now in Ivy Hospital Mohali , the stroke patients can be treated in selected cases till 24 hours, said Dr Swati Garg.
