“If a person is affected by stroke and is given specialist treatment within three hours, they can fully recover,” said the SAZ director, Aggrey Nkazana. “However, the disease has been neglected to an extent where almost all government hospitals have no specialist doctors.”
In an interview, Nkazana, who founded the organisation in 2007, told The Zimbabwean that treatment of stroke, which is caused by damaged veins and arteries supplying blood to the brain, has long been neglected.
“Our institutions do not have equipment like scan machines to help in the treatment of stroke. As a result, people who suffer a stroke are permanently paralysed or made to wait for death.”
Former health minister Timothy Stamps is the patron of the organisation and Robert Mugabe’s health advisor. He suffered a stroke himself and is on record for saying government should prioritise treatment of stroke in order to curb its consequences and reduce the number of deaths.
“Our research indicates that one in every six people is going to be affected by stroke in Zimbabwe soon. The figures are scary so we are saying let’s work on preventative measures,” said Nkazana.
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yets govt should interverne fast. went throuh a hard time immediately after the economic meltdown.currently hemiplegic surviving on garlic and ginger