The Stroke Association Support Network-Ghana (SASNET-Ghana) is appealing to the government to prioritise stroke care delivery and the provision of assistive technology to stroke survivors.
In a statement to commemorate the 5th National Stroke Survivors Day, the Executive Director of SASNET-Ghana, Ad Adams Ebenezer, said the government should invest in initiatives to improve patient outcomes.
The National Stroke Survivors Day is commemorated annually on March 16th to raise awareness about stroke, its signs and risk factors, as well as support stroke survivors in Ghana.
This year’s theme is ‘Rehabilitate, Reintegrate, Renew: Renew Enhancing Stroke Care through Primary Health Care, Towards Universal Health Coverage and Sustainable Development’.
According to SASNET-Ghana, the theme is aligned with President John Dramani Mahama’s agenda of making primary health care accessible for all individuals.
Given that, the group has highlighted some key demands to the government and the Ministry of Health.
Major among these is the provision of CT scans and MRI machines in all regional hospitals across the country, the purchasing of rehabilitation robotics for stroke care, and the expansion of the National Health Insurance Scheme to cover stroke.
Others are the development of the National Policy on Assistive Technology and the establishment of community-based rehabilitation centres.
“We believe that every stroke survivor deserves access to quality healthcare and rehabilitation services, as well as the government providing all the needed support for stroke health professionals to deliver quality and patient-centred service.
“We urge the Government of Ghana to prioritise health care delivery, especially stroke care and invest in initiatives that improve patient outcomes,” the statement read.
Meanwhile, between 2021 and 2023, over 71,985 cases of stroke were reported across the country, according to the Non-Communicable Disease Control Programme of the Ghana Health Service, making it the leading cause of death and disabilities during the period.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2020, 15,163 people died from stroke in Ghana, constituting 8.67% of the total deaths in the country.
This requires major efforts by all stakeholders in its prevention and treatment.
Below is the full statement
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