Pakistan's hospital starts administering new injection to save stroke-hit patients

Gulf Today

28-04-2025

ISLAMABAD: The Khyber Teaching Hospital (KTH) Peshawar has started administering a new injection to save lives of stroke-hit patients.
"A 60-year-old patient, who has been administered the injection, is doing well as she was brought to the hospital within one hour of the attack and therefore stood better chances of recovery,' KTH medical director Dr Sajjadullah Dawar said, according to a report.
He said that patients should reach hospital ideally within three hours of the stroke attack but the result of patients visiting the health facility within four to five hours was also good.
Dr Dawar, a neurosurgeon, said that they got stock of the medicine from the hospital's funds to be provided free of cost to patients. "Meanwhile, the government has agreed to include this drug in the Sehat Card Plus (SCP) scheme so that people could benefit from it in the long-run,' he said.
A volunteer of the Edhi Foundation sprays water on a passerby's head to cool off on a hot summer day along a road in Karachi. AFP
The administration of the injection has already been started in Hayatabad Medical Complex and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar that helped scores of stroke-hit people to recover.
However, both LRH and Hayat Medical Complex administrations have been requesting the government to provide it on SCP because it is very expensive and the majority of patients cannot afford it.
Dr Dawar said that the government would soon announce to cover the cost of new therapy under SCP to ensure provision of smooth services to patients. LRH and HMC have been providing the injection to patients on a cost-sharing basis.
However, it has been provided totally free to some deserving patients but its inclusion in SCP will make this drug available to all the patients who need it.
He said that they had developed proper protocol and a team of specialist doctors to ensure that the new medical technique for free treatment of patients suffering from stroke helped people.
"The injection is known for saving lives of patients and protecting them from disabilities caused by stroke,' said Dr Dawar.
He said that the tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) injection was used in hyper acute stroke within three hours to open up clotted arteries and was administered to patients after a very careful selection process.
"So far, results are excellent as most of the patients, who received it in LRH and HMC, have recovered,' he said and added that people should bear in mind that patients should be brought to hospitals immediately. He said that stroke was a sudden onset of weakness in limbs or face, which was the most disabling disease of the world.