Mary Mediatrix Medical Center, a tertiary hospital in Lipa City, Batangas, has launched its Institute for Clinical Neurosciences (ICN) to help ease the burden for patients in Southern Luzon.
Based on a study published on BMC Health Services Research, a stroke is the second leading cause of death in the Philippines. Out of an estimated 500,000 who suffered a stroke each year, 87,000 die.
‘The Institute for Clinical Neurosciences is providing 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,’ said Edna Cuasay, chief of the ICN.
The facility 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.
Expanding outside Metro Manila
‘It used to be that the only venues for training neurologists were concentrated in the National Capital Region,’ Cuasay said. ‘However, thanks to the efforts of both government and tertiary hospitals, we are expanding these training facilities outside NCR.
She said that in Southern Luzon, they have only one neurology training facility which is at Mary Mediatrix. The facility has full services to perform procedures that treat both types of stroke, also known as ‘brain attack.’
One type is the ischemic stroke where a blood clot blocks a brain blood vessel. The other type is the hemorrhagic stroke where a brain vessel bursts and bleeds.
‘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,’ Cuasay said. ‘When responders, whether emergency personnel, doctors, or loved ones, save time in accessing treatment for a patient, they are saving lives.’
She added that those disabled by stroke will have a greater chance to recover mobility and restore physical and mental functions through medical treatment and therapy.
Through the ICN of Mary Mediatrix, patients from as far as Quezon province or even the Bicol region can now access advanced, effective treatment for stroke and other brain conditions faster.
With the opening of the Institute for Clinical Neurosciences, Mary Mediatrix now has four Centers for Excellence. The other three are the Cancer Institute, Kidney Institute, and Cardiovascular Institute. INQ