Free medicine available for stroke victims–DOH

NOEL Padua considers himself lucky not only for surviving but also for not suffering any disability after he suffered a stroke, or brain attack, last month.

“Thanked God my face neither drooped nor I got paralyzed,” he said.

Padua, 56, recalled that when he had a brain attack, he suddenly felt numbness in his arms and experienced difficulty talking.

“My wife could not understand what I was saying. I was having slurred speech. I also could not move my arms. That’s when I knew something was wrong. Good thing I was able to reach the hospital on time,” he said.

Padua is indeed lucky because stroke is the No. 2 most common cause of death worldwide and in the Philippines, according to Dr. Eric Tayag, spokesperson of the Department of Health (DOH).

Stroke is also the leading cause of disability in adults, with up to 32 percent of all survivors permanently disabled.

Citing the 2013 Philippine Health Statistics, Tayag said 6 per 10,000 died from stroke or cerebrovascular diseases.

Emergency medicine

Tayag said it helped that Padua was taken to the hospital on time and was given the emergency medicine alteplase, or tissue plasminogen activator.

“Alteplase, or tissue plasminogen activator, is ideally given in the first three hours upon onset of acute stroke,” Tayag said at a press briefing, stressing that only patients who have an ischemic type of stroke, or those with blocked blood vessels in the brain, will benefit from the medicine since alteplase breaks down unwanted blood clots.

“It is very important that the attending doctor distinguish the type of stroke, whether ischemic or haemorrhagic, as alteplase will just worsen the stroke if given to those with the haemorrhagic type since this will just promote more bleeding in the brain,” he explained.

Free in gov’t hospitals

In celebration of Brain Attack Awareness Week, the DOH on Tuesday launched the medical assistance program that will make stroke medication alteplase available to the public for free, in 26 selected government hospitals nationwide.

These hospitals include East Avenue Medical Center, Philippine Heart Center, Jose R. Reyes Memorial Medical Center, National Kidney and Transplant Institute, Quirino Memorial Medical Center, Las Piñas General Hospital and Satellite Trauma Center, Philippine General Hospital, Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center, Mariano Marcos Memorial Medical Center, Cagayan Valley Medical Center.

Southern Isabela General Hospital, Jose B. Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital, Paulino, J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center, Batangas Medical Center, Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital, Bicol, Medical Center, Gov. Celestino Gallares Memorial Hospital, Corazon Locsin Montelibano Memorial Regional Hospital.

Western Visayas Medical Center, Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, Zamboanga City Medical Center, Cotabato Regional and Medical Center, Northern Mindanao Medical Center, Mayor Hilarion A. Ramiro Sr. Regional and Teaching Hospital, and Southern Philippines Medical Center.

Acute stroke units

Tayag explained that the medicine was being offered in the 26 government hospitals because these were the ones equipped with acute stroke units.

“Acute stroke units will ensure to improve chance of survival of stroke patients, reduce disability, shorten hospital stay and shorten length of rehabilitation,” Dr. Epifania Collantes, president of the Stroke Society of the Philippines (SSP), said in a statement.

The SSP has long been advocating the creation of acute stroke units in hospitals nationwide. It helps in building the capacity of hospitals nationwide in establishing acute stroke units.

While alteplase is only available initially in government hospitals, Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial has instructed government hospitals to explore partnership with private hospitals so patients admitted in these hospitals could also avail themselves of alteplase, free of charge.

Private hospitals will write to hospitals under the DOH requesting alteplase vials. The request will be granted but we should be assured that these will be given for free to eligible patients, Ubial said.

“Alteplase is truly a life-saving drug and every stroke patient eligible to receive it, should have access to it. It is not acceptable that a patient, who cannot shelve out P80,000, will be deprived of this emergency medicine at a time when this is needed the most. This is the reason why the DOH procured this medicine in bulk, and the DOH pays only P30,000 per vial, which is P50,000 less than when this is bought in pharmacies.” Ubial added.

Act F.A.S.T

Stroke is a brain attack, always an emergency that is potentially treatable, and most importantly preventable.

“To suspect stroke, act F.A.S.T: F (face drooping) or sudden numbness or weakness of face; A (arm weakness), arm or leg, on one side of body; sudden trouble in walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; S (speech difficulty), any slurring of speech, trouble speaking or understanding; sudden severe headache with no known cause; T (time) to go to emergency room within two hours if you experience any of the mentioned symptoms,” Tayag said.

“The best way to prevent stroke is to engage in healthy lifestyle. Do not smoke. Do not drink alcohol excessively,” he added.

“Engage in regular aerobic activity. Hypertensive and diabetic patients should take their medications regularly as well as maintain healthy lifestyle. Maintain your ideal body weight. Avoid high-caloric and fatty foods. Eat diet rich in fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy products.”