Marengo CIMS Hospital, for the first time in Gujarat, launches the Strokologist Program

The program is strengthened with the support of the stroke ambulance dedicated to reaching a stroke patient within 15 minutes of a distress call

Marengo CIMS aims to train 5000 doctors across Pan India to create increased awareness about stroke, avert fatalities due to stroke and save lives

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], February 22: One of the three largest emergencies that can claim lives is ‘Strokes’.  It has been reported that around 600 cases are registered for stroke every day in the state of Gujarat. Out of 15 lakh estimated stroke cases reported in India annually, Gujarat has a major share. Gender-wise, while men who are heavy consumers of junk food, alcohol and smoking are at high risk, women post-menopause are at a vulnerable risk. Stroke is also attributed to obesity, diabetes, hypertension, consumption of excessive junk food, high cholesterol, alcohol intake and smoking. India records approximately 15% of stroke incidences in youth below the age of 40 years in strokes.

‘Reaching the right hospital at the right time for the right treatment’ is a crucial component in changing the outcome of what could have been to what has been achieved. With the rising casualties of strokes and the lack of awareness about immediate action, the healthcare industry is witnessing lives lost when timely medical intervention within the ‘Golden Hour’ can avert fatalities or disabilities. To strengthen the network and mobilise nursing homes, nurses, and support staff, Marengo CIMS Hospital launched the Strokologist Program to train the community of physicians, critical care specialists, and ICU and ER doctors and empower them with the skills for timely diagnosis and treatment as soon as a stroke patient is brought under their care. The Program is led by Dr Mukesh Sharma, HOD Stroke Specialist at Marengo CIMS Hospital.

The Marengo CIMS Hospital is recognised for its clinical excellence and global expertise. With a well-endowed team in Neurosciences, the hospital extends the medical expertise of the best Neuro physicians, best neurosurgeons and best neuroradiologists, one of the best Neuro Cath labs, and the best stroke ambulance that responds to distress calls in the shortest span of time to reach the patient, a mere 15 minutes. The motto of the Marengo CIMS Hospital is ‘We treat and manage strokes like no one’. With the participation of a network of 45 doctors and nursing homes trained to leverage the technology to their advantage in terms of elevated knowledge, the doctors and support staff will also leverage the knowledge to extend expertise to patients to save many more lives. The team of Neurosciences at Marengo CIMS will train and certify doctors and nurses in batches, and it is just a matter of time before doctors across the country will walk the talk of bringing down disabilities or fatalities in stroke patients significantly. Advanced technology will play a pivotal role in the education of doctors and empower them with tools to be applied for quick responses to critical conditions. The community of doctors integrated into the network will be connectors for every patient coming to any doctor certified through this program for the immense and pivotal support it will generate to save more lives.

Dr. Mukesh Sharma, Director of Neurology and Head of the Stroke Program at Marengo CIMS Hospital, says, “Stroke is increasingly affecting the younger population, contrary to the common perception that it belongs to the older age groups, and lives are lost untimely due to delay in reaching the patient to a medical emergency within a stipulated time. The purpose of this initiative is to educate and skill doctors to thrombolysis patients within the golden hour. This will not only certify the medical professionals as skilled professionals equipped to deal with stroke patients but will also increase the capability of the doctors to read the scans appropriately and administer drugs accordingly. We are networking with nursing homes across Ahmedabad in a hub-and-spoke model to make each primary stroke centre equipped with advanced technology for immediate medical intervention to avert disability in a stroke patient and save the life of the patient.”

Dr Keyur Parikh, Chairman of Marengo CIMS Hospital, says, “As a healthcare provider, we have taken giant steps in emerging as a leader in the industry with initiatives in various specialities. It is not far away that we are recognised for our contribution to the world of Neurosciences. Our aim is to train and certify 5000 doctors across the length and breadth of the country to bring down the disability and death index in the nation in a span of three years. Doctors who join us in this initiative of stroke care and management will partner with us in taking society to better health.”

The advanced technology at each of these primary networked centres will help doctors download the data fed into the systems and prepare them plan the best line of treatment for the patient, depending on the status of his condition, the reports reveal. This will enable the doctor and the nursing staff to hasten treatment solutions and contribute to controlling the medical condition of a patient from deteriorating further. However, in the event of the requirement for further treatment in complex cases, the patient can then be shifted from a stabilised condition to a comprehensive care centre.

Dr Raajiv Singhal, Managing Director & Group CEO, Marengo Asia Hospitals, said, “In our vision of “Patient First”, every life matters, every minute counts. Timely medical intervention is crucial as a stroke kills about two million brain cells in under a minute. The Strokologist Program is designed to mobilise timely intervention by doctors and to create an impact socially through increased awareness among physicians and people. Our initiative to create an integrated network of nursing homes is to introduce advanced technology and train the doctors to apply this technology to elevate the nursing homes as stroke centres with enhanced precision in clinical excellence. The aim is to reach every nook and corner of Gujarat state with the goal of reducing stroke incidences resulting in fatalities or disabilities. We are working to reach a fine blend of advanced technology with a human touch to expedite the care solutions to stroke patients where the ‘Golden Hour’ is of paramount importance.  Last, but not least, high-end drugs for clot bursting have been available over the last almost three decades. Yet only two percent of stroke patients are administered these drugs. Our endeavour is to skill the doctors in understanding the outcome of these drugs and administer them appropriately to avert any unwarranted outcomes like disability or even death in stroke patients. The program is designed to train and empower more and more doctors on a sustained and regular schedule. The focus is to elevate stroke care to optimised levels in the service deliveries.”

Around 4000 stroke cases happen daily, and not more than even 2 to 3 percent are treated. India currently accounts for 60 percent of stroke patients worldwide. Less than 1 in 4 Indians are aware of stroke symptoms. About three million people die due to strokes each year. Globally, about 6% of all deaths from stroke occur in people 15-49 years old. There are 69 million people living who have experienced a stroke. Over 143 million years of healthy life are lost each year due to disability and deaths following a stroke. One in six people is at risk of experiencing a stroke. It is about time that awareness arms people to react quickly in such conditions.

About Marengo CIMS Hospital

Marengo CIMS Hospital is a 350-bedded multi-super speciality, modern, patient–friendly “Green Hospital “providing a range of outpatient and inpatient preventive, diagnostic and treatment services. The hospital provides world-class treatment and excellent healthcare services for most diseases and medical problems with one of the highest success rates in India. Delivering the highest standards of global healthcare, CIMS Hospital is accredited by JCI – Joint Commission International (USA), NABH (National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers) and NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) for providing quality healthcare and patient safety across India.

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