Proceed with speed
IT is that time of the year again to shed some light on the topic of stroke. Between 2010 and 2014, there was an increase in the number of stroke patients in Malaysia.
World Stroke Day was first celebrated in 2006 and later fixed on Oct 29 as the World Stroke Organization (WSO) was officially formed on this day.
WSO is an international non-governmental organisation recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Stroke, one of the leading causes of death in Malaysia, is disabling yet treatable.
It costs money and time to treat hypertension and stress as they are considered the main contributing factors of stroke.
Hypertension is increasing among Malaysians above the age of 30 and if a person experiences a stroke at the age of 55, the impact will greatly affect his earning ability and future.
This year, iRehab decided to do something different to serve a greater cause. On this day, in the international fight for access to stroke care, iRehab signed a petition, calling out to stroke patients and Malaysians to join in support of this noble cause.
This petition is in support of the Global Stroke Bill of Rights petition launched by WSO.
This petition is not a legal document – it is a stroke-care guide that supports the best possible outcomes for both stroke survivors and their families.
The physiotherapy and stroke rehabilitation centre takes pride in the care that is provided to all patients and is delighted that its facility supports the Stroke Bill of Rights.
Founded by Zalilah Salleh Ghany, the facility was initially conceived with strong foundations in neurological rehabilitation.
However, it began providing services for other conditions, including back, neck and knee pain over time to meet clients’ needs.
The centre strives for excellence in care and, as such, supports evidence-based practice. One instance is the usage of robot-assisted gait training also known as Lokomat.
A study in 2013 published by the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews shows that early rehabilitation and high-repetition gait training ensures consistent brain stimulation, which, for example, helps individuals learn to walk again.
Under one roof, iRehab provides a team of healthcare professionals (physiotherapist, occupational therapist, speech therapist, prosthetist, orthotist, doctors and nurses) in providing personalised care.
Believing in continual care, iRehab’s services start from your doorstep. It offers transitional home care, a stay-in care centre that focuses on improving a stroke survivor’s independence through intense rehabilitation.
One such stroke survivor that has experienced the services in its fullness is Cheah Swee Peng. The 54-year-old stroke survivor with a left-sided weakness was wheelchair-bound, totally dependent on others for his personal care and was unable to walk when he first went to iRehab.
Cheah's family sought transitional-care services that included nursing care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and Lokomat.
After four weeks of intensive rehabilitation, Cheah recovered and was able to care for himself, walk without a walking aid and drive independently.
To add the cherry on the cake, he returned to his pre-stroke employment as a sales executive at an international-based company two weeks after his discharge from rehabilitation.
The WSO theme for this year is Face the facts: Stroke is Treatable with the tagline “Lives can improve with better awareness, access, and action”.
Cheah’s recovery story surely supports this tagline. Life can be recovered in light of a stroke when the right actions are taken at the right time.
Hypertension is increasing among Malaysians above the age of 30 and if a person experiences a stroke at the age of 55, the impact will greatly affect his earning ability and future.
For more information or to support the Stroke
Bill of Rights, visit www.worldstrokecampaign.org.