Najran Health Affairs General Directorate announced launching a comprehensive stroke treatment program for acute stroke cases at King Khalid Hospital in Najran, using the latest internationally available medical technologies. These technologies include clot-dissolving medications, and cerebral thrombus suction through catheter. An integrated medical team of administrators, technicians, and highly-trained doctors provides this program. Moreover, the experience of doctors specialized in the treatment of strokes across the Kingdom will provide major benefits.
Furthermore, the program is the nucleus of another integrated program to deal with all severe stroke cases from all hospitals in the region and provide the proper treatment at the right time for all citizens and residents.
Ten patients have benefited so far from the stroke treatment program, including a patient who had a stroke that resulted in difficulty speaking and weakness in the right limbs, followed by weakness in the left limbs. This patient was immediately taken to the Emergency Department in the hospital during the first hours of the emergence of the symptoms. Through clinical and radiological examination, a thrombus in the basilar artery of the brain was found, and the patient was instantly given the clot-dissolving medication.
The condition of the patient fully improved, and he was able to leave the hospital in 3 days without trouble after undergoing all required examinations. The patient also received a treatment plan for follow-up through outpatient clinics. Noteworthy, the clot-dissolving medication is given to patients in the first four and a half hours. The earlier the patient takes the medication, the better the results.
This step is deemed a continuation of Najran Health Affairs' efforts to develop performance improvement programs within its health facilities and raise the quality of the health services provided to patients and outpatients.