Fortis Escorts Hospital, Amritsar in association with Guru Nanak Dev University organizes health talk on stroke awareness

Amritsar, XX November 2022: On the occasion of World Stroke Day (29^th October, 2022), Fortis Escorts Hospital, Amritsar in association with Guru Nanak Dev University organized a health talk on stroke awareness. The event was attended by 70 faculty members and was facilitated by Dr. Manik Mahajan, Senior Consultant - Neurology Fortis Escorts Hospital Amritsar along with Chief Guest-- Dr. HP Singh, Director - Non-Invasive Cardiology Fortis Escorts Hospital, Amritsar and Chairperson--Dr. Jaspal Singh, Vice Chancellor, GNDU

The event focused on the benefits of FAST (F – Face-- Does the persons face look uneven or drooping to one side?, A- Arm or Leg-- Does the patient have numbness or weakness in one arm or leg?, S – Speech-- does the patient have difficulty speaking?, T - Time to reach a stroke-ready hospital) method, which is designed to recognize patients who are suffering from strokes and how to act accordingly. Various types of strokes along with things to avoid were also discussed at the event.

Speaking at the event, Dr. Manik Mahajan said, “India has witnessed an alarming rise in the occurrence of non-communicable diseases. According to a report by the Lancet global health, in India, the prevalence of  stroke has increased by over 50% in the last three decades. Once a patient has suffered a stroke, it is also likely that they might have recurrent strokes. Thus, it is important to understand the risk associated with primary and recurrent strokes to be able to minimize them.”

Stroke is the second leading cause of mortality and claims about 60 lakh lives every year globally, according to a report by the World Health Organisation (WHO). As per a Lancet Study, nearly 7 lakh stroke-related deaths occurred in India in 2019 – accounting for 7.4% of the total deaths in the country that year. One in six people suffers a stroke in their lifetime.