RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Oct. 21, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (KFSHRC) has launched the first-of-its-kind Mobile Stroke Ambulance Unit in the Middle East and North Africa, bringing advanced medical technology and clinical expertise directly to stroke patients. This innovation allows the medical team to use travel time to provide immediate medical care, significantly improving recovery and survival chances while reducing long-term disabilities, with a 70% higher likelihood of restoring normal body functions.
The initiative aims to improve stroke outcomes and accelerate the delivery of life-saving care during the critical first hour after symptom onset. It addresses specific challenges faced by patients in Riyadh, such as traffic congestion and prolonged transport times to hospitals, which result in delayed access to critical care, factors that have a crucial impact on treatment outcomes and patient quality of life. The Mobile Stroke Unit is dispatched after the Saudi Red Crescent Authority receives a report from the patient’s family about stroke symptoms, such as arm weakness, facial drooping, or difficulty speaking.
Following this, KFSHRC’s emergency unit is notified, and the Mobile Stroke Unit is deployed to the patient’s location, enabling on-site diagnosis and immediate treatment. The Stroke Unit, specially equipped within an ambulance, includes a specialized medical team consisting of a vascular neurologist, a critical car.
