Columbia Asia Referral Hospital-Yeshwanthpur has opened an acute stroke unit and awareness campaign to control the fatal cases.

Strokes are the leading cause of mortality in India and represent 1.2 per cent of total deaths. Age adjusted stroke prevalence in the last decade has been around 250-350 in 1, 00,000 population. Going by the increasing incidence of stroke, the unit caters to medical issues related to stroke and other similar conditions.

The unit was inaugurated by Karnataka Lokayukta, Justice Santosh Hegde. The facility has a panel doctors including Dr Prabhakar Shetty, Interventional Cardiologist and Chief of Cardiology, Dr Guruprasad, Consultant Neurologist, and Dr Arjun Srivastav, Consultant Neuro Surgeon. Also involved in this programme were Dr Radha Murthy, Managing Trustee, Nightingales Medical Trust and Dr Nandakumar Jairam, Chairman and Group Medical Director, Columbia Asia Hospitals.

“A stroke if prevented or at least identified and treated appropriately and early can make a big difference in the patient’s life. This is currently inadequately available and hence we have decided to start such a programme”, stated Dr Jairam.

A stroke can attack a patient physically, mentally and emotionally. Columbia Asia Acute stroke unit is designed to address all these areas, giving comprehensive solutions to medical complexities that may arise due to stroke (brain attack). “This new unit will serve as a breakthrough, and the technology employed, will extend a holistic approach to the management of acute stroke. This unit is well-equipped with devices like the Penumbra System, that if used by itself or in conjunction with other devices and drugs helps achieve the best results and makes for the better management of stroke cases,” he added.