Are hospitals in the Philippines stroke-ready?

10/5/19

Angels Initiative Philippines

Did you know that 1 in every 4 people will suffer a stroke? In the Philippines, stroke is one of the leading causes of death among Filipinos. Immediate treatment of stroke is a big factor in determining the outcome and where you are treated plays a major role. Are hospitals in the Philippines stroke-ready?

The Angels Initiative

October 29 is World Stroke Day. While the Philippines has been dealing with a lot of problems lately with regards to health and healthcare of the Filipinos, stroke seems to be a health problem that is not given proper attention by the government in spite of the the fact that it's a common killer. 

"Every 30 minutes a stroke patient who could have been saved, dies or is permanently disabled, because they were treated in the wrong hospital."

Angels Initiative Philippines
Mr. Thomas Fischer, Global Project Lead of Angels Initiative

During the Asia Pacific Stroke Conference (APSC) held at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay, a media roundtable was hosted by Angels Initiative and discussed how to improve stroke care in Asia. Angels Initiative is a healthcare program that aims to improve hospital care for people who suffered from stroke. The program have dedicated consultants who provide doctors, nurses, and other healthcare providers with the training and support needed to improve stroke care.

Building stroke-ready hospitals in the Philippines

In the Philippines, there are currently 11 stroke-ready hospitals with five fully-dedicated Angels consultant and 42 hospitals nationwide in active consultation. Considering that stroke is a time-sensitive disease, it is very alarming that a patient may not receive immediate treatment if the hospital where he is brought isn't equipped to handle stroke cases.

Angels Initiative Philippines
Prof. Dr. Jose Navarro, Chair of Neurosonology Group of the PNA and Professor at the UST Faculty of Medicine and Surgery
Angels Initiative began in the Philippines in 2017. There was only one fully-dedicated stroke consultant and 18 target hospitals in consultation. While the numbers have increased in span of two years, the aim is to have a significant number of stroke-ready hospitals throughout the country. 

According to Prof. Dr. Navarro, there are only 402 neurologists in the Philippines and majority are practicing in NCR.  In order for a hospital to be stroke-ready, it should have a standardization of processes to ensure that treatment is given within the 60-minute window.

World Stroke Organization Gold Award

The Baguio General Hospital and Makati Medical Center received the Q2 2019 WSO Gold Award at the Asia Pacific Stroke Conference, This award has been designed to acknowledge and honor the teams and individuals committed in making quality improvement in stroke practice and to establish a culture of continued monitoring.

Angels Initiative Philippines

The Angels Initiative in the Philippines was made possible through the collaboration of local medical organizations such as the Stroke Society of the Philippines and the Philippine Neurological Association. Prof. Dr. Navarro stressed that the Philippines still has a long way to go in improving the healthcare situation of the country and the government needs to step up to support the initiative.

Learn more about the Angels Initiative and how hospitals can become stroke-ready by visiting the official website https://www.angelsinitiative.com