Post by Okwes on Jun 6, 2006 9:14:59 GMT -5
Stokes (health)
Article published Jun 4, 2006
Strokes on Guam
Our state of health
By Jojo Santo Tomas
Pacific Sunday News
santotomas@guampdn.com
If the numbers from the first three months hold true for the rest of the
year, Guam's health industry will fall even further behind in the battle
against the nation's third-leading cause of death.
In fact, if fighting a stroke could be considered a war, then Guam needs
a permanent military base, a bunch of colonels, armies of soldiers and
above all, plenty of ammunition.
"Whatever we have, it is not enough. More people are dying," says Dr.
Ramel Carlos, a neurologist who deals with the realities of strokes on a
daily basis. "I am very worried about this recent increase. We need to
really explain why this is happening, but at this time, we don't have
the resources to do so."
Before moving to private practice, Carlos worked at the Guam Memorial
Hospital where he gathered stroke data from 1980 to 2003. He compiled
the types of strokes, who they affected and the mortality rate. From
2002 to 2003 -- considered a high point in Guam's stroke history -- GMH
admitted an average of 12 stroke victims per month.
But this year, those numbers are up considerably. For January through
March, GMH admitted an average of 19 stroke victims per month. On top of
that, stroke victims are getting younger -- one in four victims is less
than 50 years old, Carlos says.
Meanwhile, resources are few, Carlos says. He is the only full-time
neurologist. At GMH, there is only one speech pathologist and few
physical therapists. And perhaps just as important, there is no
comprehensive database of stroke patients and their history.
Story @:
www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060604/LIFESTYLE/606040317/1024
Article published Jun 4, 2006
Strokes on Guam
Our state of health
By Jojo Santo Tomas
Pacific Sunday News
santotomas@guampdn.com
If the numbers from the first three months hold true for the rest of the
year, Guam's health industry will fall even further behind in the battle
against the nation's third-leading cause of death.
In fact, if fighting a stroke could be considered a war, then Guam needs
a permanent military base, a bunch of colonels, armies of soldiers and
above all, plenty of ammunition.
"Whatever we have, it is not enough. More people are dying," says Dr.
Ramel Carlos, a neurologist who deals with the realities of strokes on a
daily basis. "I am very worried about this recent increase. We need to
really explain why this is happening, but at this time, we don't have
the resources to do so."
Before moving to private practice, Carlos worked at the Guam Memorial
Hospital where he gathered stroke data from 1980 to 2003. He compiled
the types of strokes, who they affected and the mortality rate. From
2002 to 2003 -- considered a high point in Guam's stroke history -- GMH
admitted an average of 12 stroke victims per month.
But this year, those numbers are up considerably. For January through
March, GMH admitted an average of 19 stroke victims per month. On top of
that, stroke victims are getting younger -- one in four victims is less
than 50 years old, Carlos says.
Meanwhile, resources are few, Carlos says. He is the only full-time
neurologist. At GMH, there is only one speech pathologist and few
physical therapists. And perhaps just as important, there is no
comprehensive database of stroke patients and their history.
Story @:
www.guampdn.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060604/LIFESTYLE/606040317/1024