Approximately 800 cases of cerebrovascular incidents (CVA) per year are recorded in the Autonomous Region of Madeira each year, the Secretary of Health and Civil Protection said today, noting that 55% of patients arrive outside the “therapeutic window.”
“We still have 55% of patients who do not arrive [at the hospital] within the therapeutic window, at the time they should arrive. In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, where all places are at a distance of 25 minutes, it is unacceptable, it is impossible, and this has to be changed,” said Pedro Ramos, reinforcing that “the signaling of patients and hospital communication must be done quickly to avoid delays and catch stroke victims during the critical window period (these are dependant on the type and severity of the stroke).”
Pedro Ramos explained that the Madeira Health Service (SESARAM) has a unit for the treatment of acute and subacute stroke situations with 20 beds and qualified stroke staff.
The region also has complementary means of specific diagnosis and therapy and a clinical simulation centre.
“The reliability of our system is so great that we treat not only patients from Madeira but also patients from the Azores,” he said, noting that 70% of all cases are treated at the stroke unit.
The Regional Secretary for Health and Civil Protection stressed, however, that it is necessary to work more in the field of reporting cases and reporting them to entities.
“Speed is linked to the success of our response,” he said.
Pedro Ramos also said that people have to be responsible for their own health as strokes are associated with hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, lack of physical exercise, and obesity.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
