Dr. Ryna Then, director of the Stroke and Cerebral Hemorrhage Service at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, visited to create awareness that cerebrovascular accidents (CVA) have taken root in recent years as the second leading cause of death in the Dominican Republic and the first responsible for disability in adults. Dr. Then spoke during the presentation of the “National Symposium on Ischemic Stroke: Pre-Hospital and Intrahospital Management.”
Dr. Then said that ignorance and lack of immediate attention to the signs on the part of the patient are one of the main reasons of the deaths caused by this disease.
She highlighted that the Dominican Republic is third in the entire Caribbean region with the highest number of deaths with ischemic stroke. She says the data from the Dominican Society of Neurology and Neurosurgery reveals that 59 strokes occur daily in the country. While most of the cases are in persons over 65 years, more are happening in young people. The cost in the Dominican Republic of carrying for a person who has suffered a stroke is around RD$700,000. Most insurance plans do not offer sufficient coverage.
Dr. Then is working with Dr. Cosme Villaman, president of the Dominican Society of Neurology, on a project to habilitate a public hospital to better serve patients who suffer strokes.
In the Dominican Republic, Corazones del Cibao, Clínica Corominas and Unión Médica del Norte in Santiago are the private hospitals that respond to acute stroke in the Cibao region. In Santo Domingo, only the Centro de Diagnóstico Medicina Avanzada y Telemedicina (Cedimat) offers adequate services for those who suffer strokes.
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Listin Diario
Cooper University
Researchgate
Researchgate
Harvard Health – how to prevent a stroke
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