Ignoring timely medical care leading to hundreds of "brain stroke" deaths during Coronavirus pandemic

Hyderabad: A 45-year-old male patient with a recent Delhi to Hyderabad travel history was rushed to the Medicover Hospitals after he experienced weakness on one side of his body for two days. Post a thorough assessment, it was identified that the patient suffered a "brain stroke", and was ignorant of his condition, and with the fear of contracting coronavirus, did not seek timely medical support. On getting admitted to the hospital, the patient was treated for the condition and discharged once he was fit to return to his regular routine.

Medicover Hospitals has been receiving at least 2 such patients every week, who seek medical care much after suffering a brain stroke! And this situation is the result of fear of visiting a hospital in these times of Covid-19 pandemic. While many patients who do not reach the hospital in time are succumbing to the ailment; and at least 80% of these deaths could be prevented with timely medical intervention.

Commenting on risks and the need to enhance awareness, Dr. Simanchal Mishra, Consultant Neurologist, Medicover Hospitals said, "In these times of a global pandemic, many patients land at our hospital when the situation turns grave! Receiving timely medical care when a patient suffers 'brain stroke' is the only route to save the life; and unless a physical assessment of the patient is done, right medicine cannot be administered on him/her. A patient on suffering brain stroke must be given an IV injection of recombinant "tissue plasminogen activator" (tPA) to save his/her life within the golden period of 4-5 hours. Hence, it is important people understand the symptoms of an ailment and reach out for necessary medical care without losing much time."

Non-communicable and non-COVID-19 related ailments cause thousands of deaths in each city, every year. Some among these, like brain stroke, carry the risk of high morbidity and there is an urgent need to enhance awareness about the risks among people. Medicover Hospitals takes best-in-class precautions to ensure patients are treated in virus-free zone/s; because while coronavirus is a serious problem, not receiving timely medical attention for other ailments could be riskier than the pandemic itself.