Every year stroke affects an estimated half a million Filipinos, claiming the lives of over 87,000, making it the second leading cause of death in the Philippines.
In response to this crisis, Mary Mediatrix Medical Center (MMMC), a tertiary hospital in Lipa, Batangas, has launched its Institute for Clinical Neurosciences to help ease the burden for patients in Southern Luzon.
The institute’s head Dr. Edna Cuasay said the new Center for Excellence provides neurology expertise to treat stroke and other brain diseases.
“At the same time, it is bringing in advanced equipment like MRI machines, CT Scans, neuro-microscope for neurological procedures, EMG-NCV machines, EEGs; and an epilepsy monitoring unit,” Dr. Cuasay added.
The Institute for Clinical Neurosciences is intended to address the shortage of neurologists in Batangas and nearby provinces as well as provide advanced, high-tech diagnostic and treatment services, and research to add to the knowledge resources for brain diseases in the country.
Dr. Cuasay noted that venues for training neurologists were concentrated in Metro Manila, “However, thanks to the efforts of both government and tertiary hospitals, we are expanding these training facilities outside the capital region.”
According to Dr. Cuasay there are two types of stroke: an ischemic stroke where a blood clot blocks a brain blood vessel, and a hemorrhagic stroke where a brain vessel bursts and bleeds.
“Here in MMMC, we have full services to perform procedures that treat both stroke types,” she explained. “Whether that calls for a thrombolysis that can reverse the stroke, or removing the blood clot through thrombectomy or the basket method.”
The doctor said that stroke is the number one cause of disability in the Philippines and in Batangas, underscoring the crucial importance of responding as quickly as possible in cases of disabling, potentially fatal diseases like stroke.
“Time is the most important factor not only in saving a patient’s life but also in helping a patient recover and restore quality of life,” Dr. Cuasay noted. “When responders, whether emergency personnel, doctors, or loved ones, save time in accessing treatment for a patient, they are saving lives.”
Through the new Institute for Clinical Neurosciences of MMMC, patients in Southern Tagalog, and even as far as Quezon or Bicol can now access advanced, effective treatment for stroke and other brain conditions faster.
Those disabled by stroke will have a greater chance to recover mobility and restore physical and mental functions through medical treatment and therapy.