DOHA: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) stroke campaign has reached thousands of low-income workers to educate them on important health issues.
As part of efforts to raise awareness, 50,000 water bottles with neck flyers featuring the F.A.S.T. message were distributed in labour camps in Industrial Area, Al Khor and Al Seliya.
Also, 360,000 flyers were distributed at construction sites, money exchange outlets and Woqod petrol stations. Messages were in languages, including Urdu, Hindi and Malayalam.
“The messages are the same for the entire population,” said Dr Naveed Akhtar, Director, Stroke Ward, HMC.
“Fast and specialised medical intervention is key to successful treatment of stroke patients. The faster the treatment following a stroke, the better the chances of recovery.
“To ensure patients are treated quickly, it is vital that the public knows signs and symptoms of stroke to identify the problem and call 999 for help,” he said.
The campaign, launched at the start of May, aims to raise awareness about signs and symptoms of stroke and correct action to take if needed.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of mortality and the number one cause of chronic disability in the world.
Due to the high prevalence in Qatar’s population of risk factors, including diabetes, smoking, obesity, high cholesterol, hypertension and inactivity, the incidence of stroke is high.
The average age of stroke patients in Qatar is far younger than in Europe or America. Many younger stroke patients are from expatriate low-income workers.
“Many workers come from countries with high smoking rates and often have undiagnosed medical conditions that may be contributing factors for stroke, such as hypertension and diabetes,” Dr Akhtar said.
The campaign uses the internationally-established F.A.S.T. message to highlight signs of stroke and reinforce the need to act quickly.
F.A.S.T. stands for F - face drooping: Has your face suddenly drooped on one side or do you have difficulty smiling?; A - arm weakness: Are you unable to raise both arms? S - speech problems: Do you have difficulty speaking or being understood by other people?; and T - time is ticking: Call 999 immediately.
Professor Ashfaq Shuaib, Director, Neurosciences Institute, HMC, said: “We have made progress in recent years to restructure stroke care and develop a specialist Stroke Ward at Hamad General Hospital, ensuring patients are given the safest, most effective and most compassionate care possible.
“These changes have brought about significant improvements, including reducing the average length of stay for patients and lowering the rate of complications.
“Yet there is more that can be done. By working with the public through the campaign, we can ensure more people are familiar with signs and symptoms of stroke and the correct action to take.”
Ali Al Khater, Executive Director, Corporate Communications, HMC, said: “The first phase of the campaign is ending. The message has been promoted through radio and TV commercials, advertisements in print media and online, and in shopping malls.
“Stroke awareness TV commercials have been particularly effective and viewed over 250,000 times on our YouTube channel. Phase two begins after the summer.” The Peninsula
