NGO trains over 200 health workers on stroke management in Delta
The World Stroke Organisation in partnership with Stroke Action Nigeria (SAN), a Non-Governmental Organisation, commenced sensitisation training of medical and ancillary health workers on stroke management in Delta.
The four days training programme tagged: “Reducing the Burden of Stroke in Nigeria,” is holding at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Asaba, with participants drawn from the FMC and Asaba Specialists Hospital (ASH) in Asaba, Delta capital city.
No fewer than 200 health workers are taking part in the sensitisation training to prevent, save and manage stroke patients in the state.
Speaking in an interview, Dr Rita Melifonwu, Board Member, World Stroke Organisation and Chief executive, Stroke Action Nigeria Co Principal Investigator, said the rising cases of stroke in Nigeria calls for concern.
She said, “Stroke was a medical and lifestyle disease and not in anyway associated with ” witchcraft or spiritual” as in traditional belief, adding that if reported early, it could be managed and the patient could live a normal life after.”
Melifonwu, a United Kingdom trained Nurse Consultant, said that the early symptoms were identifiable, adding that it has been medically captured under the acronym, “BEFAST.”
According to her, B stands for Balance; E for Eye; F for Face; A for Arm; S for Speech and T for Time.
She said that stroke prevention was everybody’s business and people should watch out for those symptoms when somebody begins to loose balance (B), or having sudden sight failure(E), with face tilting (F), arm slacking(A) with incoherent speech(S), then reporting the case on time (T) could save the patient.
Melifonwu mentioned some of the risk factors to include hypertension, diabetes and unhealthy lifestyles.
She sid that, the organisation has procured all the facilities needed to set up a Life After Stroke Centre at the FMC, Asaba to rehabilitate victims.
The centre will have a clinic for the Nurses, gym, and an area for communication support and exercise inside the hospital.
“So, people that have stroke (survivors) in the general medical ward can come in and benefit,” she said.
Melifonwu said that she had to return to do stroke rehabilitation due to scarcity of stroke care centres in the country, adding that her advocacy started from personal experience of family and friends that fell victim to stroke due to lack of adequate information.
The Stroke Action Nigeria is partnering both governments, international, faith based organisations and communities to raise awareness, educate and provide preventions and rehabilitation.
“The incidence of stroke is increasing and the primary thing is creating awareness. In Nigeria, people still believe that stroke is from witchcraft, an arrow from gods, but we need to overcome that.
“We need to let the people know that stroke is a brain attack, It is a medical emergency, and when it happens, somebody has to go to hospital, so, time is of essence, the sooner you get the patient to the hospital, the better.”
She urged all citizens to register for a basic healthcare in the states to enable cost efficient healthcare maintenance for susceptible stroke patients and other challenges.
“We need to create awareness and follow it with action. In the World Stroke Organisation, we are promoting stroke action awareness, this is where the BEFAST comes in. We must be active to check for any of the symptoms to see whether the person has stroke.
“Government has to support us with ambulance, and an emergency telephone number.”
On his part, Dr Emmanuel Ezunu, Chief Consultant Neurologist FMC, Asaba said that the training covers over 200 healthcare workers including doctors; neurologists , nurses, physiotherapists, and stroke caregivers.
“We know that stroke is the largest cause of disability worldwide and second cause of death.
“So, there is need for everybody to work together to reduce the burden of stroke, hence the collaboration to train the health workers in this part of the world to learn how to manage the different aspects of stroke.
“Within these four days, we are going to be looking at the various stages of stroke care; the acute stroke care, prevention, surveillance and rehabilitation,” he said.
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