Chennai, Oct 2024: The Indian Stroke Association (ISA) has launched MISSION BRAIN ATTACK, an initiative aimed at enhancing the awareness, education, and training of healthcare professionals in stroke prevention, immediate treatment, and rehabilitation. The campaign “Each One Teach One” addresses the alarming rise in stroke cases across India, emphasizing the urgent need for specialized training and resources to improve stroke care nationwide.
Strokes are one of the leading causes of death and disability in India, affecting approximately 1.8 million people annually. As the second most common cause of mortality and the third leading cause of disability, strokes have had a significant impact on the country’s healthcare system. Despite this, awareness about stroke symptoms and timely intervention remains low. MISSION BRAIN ATTACK seeks to close this gap by offering healthcare providers critical training on recognizing stroke symptoms early and implementing effective care protocols to improve patient outcomes.
The golden hour for stroke treatment is 4 hours and 30 minutes. Prompt medical treatment within this period can reverse the effect of stroke. The MISSION BRAIN ATTACK initiative is designed to equip physicians and medical practitioners with critical information and practical training on recognizing stroke symptoms early, implementing effective treatment protocols, and delivering comprehensive care for patients experiencing strokes. The program will include workshops, webinars, real-time case studies, and access to cutting-edge online resources. These elements will help ensure that healthcare providers across India are familiar with the latest best practices in stroke management.
“The initiative includes a comprehensive program of workshops, webinars, real-time case studies, and access to online resources. With the increasing incidence of strokes in India, prompt measures are essential. We aim to introduce an affordable catheter for treating brain stroke patients, which will significantly lower the surgical costs associated with brain strokes” said Dr. Nirmal Surya, Consulting Neurophysician and President of the ISA.”Through MISSION BRAIN ATTACK, we are equipping healthcare professionals with the skills they need to respond effectively when a brain attack occurs, which can significantly impact a patient’s recovery and chances of survival.”
“Timely intervention is crucial during stroke. Identifying the early symptoms of a stroke and hospitalising patients within the first 4.5 hours is critical in preventing fatalities and long-term disabilities, according to neurologists. In India, a stroke occurs every 40 seconds, and a stroke-related death happens every four minutes.
Although approximately +1,85,000 stroke cases occur annually in the country, only 28,000 thrombolysis procedures are carried out.
Hospitalising the patient as soon as possible, within the initial few hours, is vital in treating a stroke. This allows doctors to initiate thrombolysis, which dissolves the blood clot in the brain’s affected vessels in cases of ischaemic stroke. Thrombolysis is most effective within these early hours following the onset of symptoms. Mechanical thrombectomy, a procedure in which the clot is physically removed using a catheter to restore blood flow, can be performed up to 24 hours after the stroke.
Stroke is similar to a heart attack, as both are caused by the blockage of blood vessels-only in stroke, it’s the brain that is affected. When a heart attack occurs, people seek treatment immediately after experiencing chest pain. However, many either ignore or are unaware of the early symptoms of stroke” said Dr. Deepak Arjunadas, Mercury Hospital, Chennai.
“Sudden loss of balance, blurred vision, drooping of numb- ness of face, weakness or numbness of lower and up- per limbs or side of the body and difficulty to speak are among the symptoms of stroke” said Dr. Muthukumar P., Apollo Hosipital, Chennai.
