Steve Biko has only stroke unit in South Africa
It is estimated that 60 South Africans die from strokes every day.
According to the Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH), strokes claim 60 lives every day.
Steve Biko Academic Hospital recently highlighted the importance of knowing what strokes are and applying preventive measures for International World Stroke Day.
“The important thing is that people need to be aware of strokes. They need to know what they are and how they happen, how they are treated and also how to prevent them,” said Prof Mandisa Kakaza, head of neurology at Steve Biko.
A stroke occurs when damage to the brain affects the blood supply to the body. Some of the common symptoms include face drooping, slurred speech and a weak arm/leg that is unusable.
“Some of the most common cases with strokes we see is that they affect people based on increased age, diabetes and hypertension. Those conditions are often associated with a stroke,” Kazaza said.
When stroke patients are received, doctors assess the upper motor neuron signs, specifically the deep tendon reflexes.
“When a patient is presented who has suffered from a stroke where the vessels have clotted or been blocked, we perform what is known as thrombolysis. We can only do that within a stipulated period, normally between four and a half hours.
“But at Steve Biko, we have rapid software that allows us to assess the patient and give treatment for up to nine hours after the onset of the stroke,” said Kazaza.
The Steve Biko stroke unit is the first and only internationally accredited stroke unit in South Africa. The hospital was recognised in 2022 and awarded the Diamond Stroke award by the International European Stroke Congress for how it has improved the management of stroke patients.
The unit has technological devices such as cameras linked to the cellphones of clinicians to alert them on the status of patients and Nintendo Wii games, used as part of physiotherapy for stroke patients.
Residents are urged that should they experience any of the symptoms to immediately go to their nearest healthcare facility.
“The main thing with patients that is most worrying is that when they start to experience a neurological deficit they always think that it’s going to get better on its own and that has to stop. They must immediately go to the hospital,” said Kazaza.
Some behavioural risk factors include raised blood pressure, blood glucose or blood lipids, being overweight, unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, tobacco use and alcohol abuse.
It is important for people with chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes and high cholesterol to take treatment regularly to reduce their risk.
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