I have been giving more thought today to the spate of NCDs highly common in the Solomon Islands and in particular how strokes arising from NCDS are regularly occurring to patients needing specialist medical care at the NRH
My concerns have prompted this letter asking if the NRH has a comprehensive stroke centre?
Looking into what is a comprehensive stroke centre and its purpose and use, I found answers from five specialist medical doctors and quote their individual responses.
Quote
Dr. Howard E. LeWine
M.D. Chief Medical Editor, Harvard Health Publishing · 40 years of experience · USA
A stroke center is a special unit designed to provide rapid, safe, and effective diagnostic techniques can accurately identify the extent and location of a stroke and the nature of the blood vessel problem causing it. The goal of treatment is to restore blood circulation (or to stop the bleeding) before brain tissue dies. The time frame for reaching this goal is frighteningly slim. Ideally, treatment to prevent brain cell death should start as soon as possible after the diagnosis and location are confirmed.
Dr. Alex T. Thomas
MD · 40 years of experience · USA
It is a facility/system with professional expertise, qualified personnel, infrastructure and a set of programs aiding in the diagnosis & treatment of patients with stroke. Such patients need medical and surgical care of high intensity, special tests and/or interventional therapies. A comprehensive stroke centre is special because it offers the highest level of patient care i.e. complex neurosurgical procedures, neurointensive care unit and advanced imaging.
Dr. Ilya Aleksandrovskiy
M.D., MBA · 5 years of experience · USA
A comprehensive stroke center is an interdisciplinary, intensive treatment program for patients following a stroke. It has specialized cerebrovascular neurosurgeons specially trained in emergency neuroscience intensive care. The necessary personnel, infrastructure, expertise, and programs to diagnose and treat stroke patients by specialized cerebrovascular neurosurgeons make it special.
Dr. Ipsa Arora
MD (Internal Medicine) · 5 years of experience · USA
A comprehensive stroke centre or system with the appropriate staff, infrastructure, knowledge, and programs is designed for the diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients who require a high level of medical or operational care, specialist testing, or intervention therapy. A complete stroke centre needs specialist neurosurgeons, the newest state-of-the-art imaging tools accessible 24 hours a day to support patients with difficult stroke situations, and neuroscience intensified stroke treatment facility. Advanced imagery, MRI/MRA, CTA, DSA, and TCD are available.
Dr. Marcella Abunahman Pereira
Specialization in Clinical Cardiology · 12 years of experience · Brazil
A comprehensive stroke center is a hospital that has a certification which recognizes it as having standard of excellence to treat the most complex stroke cases. A stroke is a medical emergency and prompt treatment is crucial because this is a life threatening situation or the person may have serious consequences. Early and qualified action can reduce brain damage and mortality rate. That is why is this center so important.
End of quote.
Source – MSM (UK) Health News.
Comment.
I would guess given the comprehensive comments of the five doctors I have quoted the NRH hasn’t the essential stroke centre needed to cope with stroke victims but the MHMS is urged to ensure a comprehensive stroke centre, fully equipped and staffed, is included in plans for the integrated multi-purpose medical facility the PRC Government has promised to build in Honiara, given the old, outdated and already fully over-burdened NRH.
Yours sincerely
Frank Short
