~ Over 30 bikers participated in the bike rally for creating awareness around stroke day in the city on Friday

New Delhi :  HCMCT Manipal Hospitals, Dwarka organised a bike rally on World Stroke Day to raise awareness on stroke. The rally began at 7 a.m. at the HCMCT Manipal Hospital in Dwarka and covered a distance of 10 kilometers. More than 30 bikers joined the rally, along with the Manipal Hospitals staffs and Dwarka police. The purpose of this rally was to raise community awareness about the value of golden hour for stroke patients. Dr. Anurag Saxena, HOD and Consultant Neurosurgery at HCMCT Manipal Hospital, flagged off the rally, which led bikers to the District Office, ACP office, and South Police Station, where they raised awareness about the importance of time in stroke management—”Time lost is brain lost.”.

“Stroke is one of the leading cause of death in India. People generally do not notice the early signs of stroke and even if they do most are unaware of the most immediate action needed. That is why it is very important to understand the concept and importance of golden hour in stroke. Knowing what to do immediately when stroke happens can not only save lives but also has potential of reversing the stroke. First thing to do is to take any stroke suspect to nearest stroke ready hospital. Maximum benefit can be achieved if the treatment can be started within one hour of start of stroke. The motive behind this rally is to educate more and more people of our city so that they can identify the early signs of stroke and how it can be managed if identified timely” said Dr Anurag Saxena, Head of Neurosurgery HCMCT Manipal Hospital, Dwarka, New Delhi.

The management for stroke is heavily influenced by when the patient arrives at the hospital. Time is crucial because a stroke deprives brain tissue of oxygen, causing it to begin to die as soon as four minutes from the onset of the stroke. When brain tissue dies, it is irreversibly lost. If a patient arrives to a stroke center with an ischemic stroke within intial hours, clot-busting therapy and or endovascular therapy may be provided (thrombolysis). Haemorrhagic stroke needs immediate treatment.