A special ambulance for stroke patients

Continental Hospitals  launched a dedicated ambulance for brain stroke emergencies, as part of its ‘Freedom from Stroke’ initiative. The custom-built ambulance to diagnose and treat brain stroke patients was inaugurated by Shri. C. Lama Reddy, Hon’ble Minister for Health and Family Welfare is seen as a critical initiative, as it would reduce the time it takes to start treatment after a stroke.

It must be noted that neuroscience experts have warned that patients with brain stroke are rising in India and that one fifth of the patients with first ever stroke are aged below 40 years.

Commenting on this worrying trend, Dr. Vikram Sharma, Consultant Neurologist at the Continental Hospitals said “Most of the patients suffering from stroke are not accessing appropriate treatment because of the delay in conveyance. In this situation, we at Continental Hospitals have come up with this idea to have a dedicated 24x7 ambulance for stroke patients thus saving time and life in crucial moments.

Taking note of the rising trends of stroke patients, the hospital has also announced that a round- the-clock dedicated rapid action team with staff fully trained in stroke management was put in place.

Shri. Harish Manian, Chief Operating Officer, Continental Hospitals described that time is a critical factor to avoid stroke complication and added that, “Once the patient calls the helpline number 67000 000, it will be answered by a trained emergency personnel who besides dispatching the ambulance will conduct a stroke assessment questionnaire to estimate the probability of the stroke”.

He also mentioned that the ambulance with trained paramedics on board will perform CBC and PT with INR tests to the patient as it is equipped with essential equipment and drugs to deliver prompt treatment within the golden hour period.

The hospital also informed the gathering that it has tied up with about 70 CT scan centers in and around Hyderabad to help quickly diagnose stroke. Expressing his happiness over this, Mr. Harish informed that through this planned tie up, patients can immediately send their reports to the concerned neurologist at the Continental Hospital who in turn will start administrating the treatment procedures.

It is highly important to understand that every minute after a stroke is important as we tend to lose 2 million brain cells each minute until blood flow is restored into our brain. Knowing the signs of stroke and getting help quickly can save our loved ones life and the key takeaway that continental hospitals wants to inform its patients is to call 67000 000 for assistance and the dispatchers will take it from there.