MADINAH — Strokes are one of the most prominent causes of deaths and disabilities in the Kingdom, a neurology expert and consultant has said. Dr. Bassam Al-Qasami, head of the neurology department and head of neurology program at King Fahd Hospital in Madinah, said more than 13,000 people are affected by strokes in the Kingdom annually, resulting in over 3,000 deaths and 6,000 disabilities. Al-Qasami explained that the symptoms of a stroke are a sudden difficulty in speaking, weakness of upper and lower limbs on either side, or tilting of the mouth due to the weakness of muscles on one side of the face. Patients experiencing such symptoms should immediately visit the nearest hospital, he said, adding that the first four hours are crucial in treating a stroke patient. Al-Qasami added that due to the increasing number of stroke victims, the program for vascular neurology was launched in King Fahd Hospital. The program, he said, has effectively saved the lives of 16 patients suffering from hemiplegia. Some of the patients had completely lost their ability to speak. "In less than 24 hours they were able to walk and move their paralyzed limbs. They were discharged from the hospital after undergoing a five-day treatment program," Al-Qasami said. Alteplase, an injectable drug that is used to treat conditions caused by arterial blood clots, is given during the first four and a half hours of the stroke as part of a therapeutic protocol developed in the hospital according to international standards, he said. Al-Qasami pointed out that the Madinah program for movement disorders and dementia currently provides treatment in cases of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease and dementia. "A program for surgical treatment of movement disorders will soon be launched, especially since more than 50 cases of Parkinson's and over 30 cases of Alzheimer's have been registered with us," he said. Another program will provide care to patients with multiple sclerosis. The number of registered multiple sclerosis cases has exceeded 300. These patients will be provided with the best diagnosis and treatment, Al-Qasami said. The headache and pain clinic is the center's latest specialized program and soon a program for diseases of peripheral nerves and muscles will be launched, he said.
