Stroke Club launched

BHUBANESWAR: The Apollo Hospitals Bhubaneswar on Saturday launched a Stroke Club to mark the World Stroke Day and with the goal of creating awareness among the people while providing support to survivors. The club inaugurated by COO Dr (LT Gen) NK Parmar will have a full-fledged team derived from all related specialities from neurologists, neurosurgeons, physiotherapists, dieticians and counsellors to lead the campaign through interaction with the public.  According to estimates, stroke has shown alarming rise in the population in the recent years, owing to rapid changes in lifestyle and the social structure as a whole. It is projected that one in six persons will suffer a stroke in the lifetime. The problem which has become the fifth largest killer in the world now poses great challenge to the country like India where proper healthcare is still not available to the large chunk of the population. “The objective of the campaign is to make people aware that stroke can happen to anyone irrespective of age and gender and educate them on warning signs such as sudden giddiness, imbalance, unsteady gait and difficulty in speech. Stroke is preventable and lives can be saved with timely medical attention,” senior consultant of neurology Dr BK Mishra said. The club would draw members of the public, hold regular interactive sessions for them. Stroke victims who would become members would be provided with  support and free OPD investigations, the hospital said.