The Stroke Association Support Network of Ghana is calling on government to enrol all stroke survivors onto the Livelihood Empowerment Assisted Program (LEAP) which is being enjoyed by persons living with disabilities (PLWD).
According to the association, the absence of adequate rehabilitation services and centres in the country and the high cost of medicines for stroke survivors is fast becoming a problem for relatives and family members of stroke survivors.
According to statistics, over 600,000 stroke survivors are living in Ghana with stroke being the second highest cause of death in Ghana.
Stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when blood flow to the brain is interrupted.
Hemorrhagic stroke, the most common type of stroke is caused by a blockage of blood vessels in the neck or brain, most often caused by a blood clot or severe narrowing of the blood vessels.
A hemorrhagic stroke which is the second most common kind of stroke is however caused by a break in the blood vessel which results in bleeding into the brain.
Globally someone suffers a stroke every 40 seconds and it is estimated 7 million people in the world die as a result of stroke yearly.
The Global Stroke Bill Of Right states that a person who has had a stroke have the right to receive the best stroke care and be supported in their recovery but that has not been the case for dozens of stroke survivors in the country.
Life after stroke has not been easy for many survivors in Ghana, from loss of work to stigmatisation.
Many other survivors have been rejected by friends and family members but the family members who stay on to assist their relatives who survive a stroke go through challenges of their own.
With the growing concern of stroke mortality and other cardiovascular diseases in Ghana, the Stroke Association Support Network of Ghana in collaboration with GoTHERAPY an advocacy, awareness and stroke prevention organization has organised a 3-week community life-after-stroke programme aimed at strengthening stroke survivors’ access to quality rehabilitation services.
The program has begun at the Saviour Memorial Hospital in Akyem-Osiem in the Eastern region of Ghana.
The purpose of the community-based programme is to empower people with stroke, their families and the communities through raising awareness, promoting inclusion, reducing poverty, eliminating stigma, meeting basic needs and facilitating access to health among others.
Robin Famatta Baker, Executive Director and Co-founder of GoTHERAPHY is worried over the lack of rehabilitation services, centres and existing structures in the country contribute to the slow pace of the rehabilitation process of stroke survivors
Rehabilitation services and drugs for stroke survivors are on a high and survivors say they need help but unfortunately the government has not done much to support stroke survivors in the country.
Ad Adams Ebenezer, director of operations for the Stroke Association Support Network of Ghana is, however, calling on government to enrol all stroke survivors onto the Livelihood Empowerment Assisted Program to reduce the burden on stroke patients.