The Stroke Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital has launched a campaign to raise awareness on stroke. Speaking on the Uniiq FM Breakfast Show, Dr. Donald Nartey and Dr. Freda Amoateng of the Stroke Unit of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital revealed that stroke-related deaths in Ghana is increasing.
The campaign therefore, is a move aimed at educating the public on what stroke is and its risk factors. According to the doctors, this will empower people to take charge of their lives and help reduce stroke incidences and deaths in Ghana.
Dr. Freda Amoateng noted that a stroke is a medical condition that attacks the brain and occurs when a part of the brain does not receive blood supply either from a blockage or rapture of the vessel.
She added that, aside diabetes, high cholesterol levels, inactivity, high intake of meat and low consumption of green vegetables are some causes of stroke. Dr. Freda Amoateng noted that hypertension is becoming the commonest cause of stroke in Ghana.
For his part, Dr. Donald Nartey disclosed that young people under age 45 are being diagnosed with stroke in Africa and in Ghana especially and urged the youth to take their health seriously.
He noted that young people diagnosed with hypertension live in a state of denial and therefore refuse to take medications prescribed for them.
“Generally, the young ones that we find maybe in their mid 30s get stroke as a result of hypertension. Once we diagnose and tell them they have hypertension they do not want to believe. When we go ahead and give them medications, they do not take them” he said.
Dr. Donald Nartey assured the public that it is possible to recover fully from a stroke but that depends on the type of stroke, where exactly it happened, the extent of the stroke and how fast doctors attend to it.
Dr. Freda Nartey urged Ghanaians to engage in some form of physical activity for 30 minutes, three times a week to burn calories and stay healthy in order to prevent the risk of getting stroke.
Story by: Mavis Arthur
