Where health and economic policy overlap

While building more specialised stroke units is needed, prevention is more cost-effective

Complaining of abdominal pain, Robel Rahman, an electrician from Bangladesh, is having his vitals checked as he is examined at the emergency department of Burjeel Hospital. Silvia Razgova / The NationalShow less

The typical age of a stroke victim in the UAE is 45 – 20 years younger than the global average. As The National reported, the number of stroke patients jumped from 8,000 in 2003 to 10,000 last year. That figure is likely to go even higher in coming years as the population ages. This is a matter for serious concern that requires urgent attention.

As Dr Suhail Al Rukn, a consultant stroke specialist at Rashid Hospital, said, we need more and better facilities to cope with the situation. There are only four specialised treatment units in the country, two each in Abu Dhabi and Dubai but none in the other emirates. There should be more, especially within reach of people living in remote parts of the country.

But there is a larger issue. Why has it become necessary to divert a huge amount of resources to treat what is a preventable condition? How have we reached the point where we need so many of these facilities?

The high diabetes rates is surely playing a role in this. High blood sugar can constrict and block blood vessels, making clots more likely to form, leading to a stroke. As with heart attacks, strokes can be avoided through simple lifestyle changes. If individuals keep their weight, blood pressure and sugar levels under control, and increase their level of exercise, they will dramatically reduce their health risks. Too many patients are ignoring or are in denial about these symptoms.

Developing specialised stroke units is expensive and requires a huge amount of resources, in terms of medical equipment and personnel with the requisite skills. Prevention is more cost-effective.

We must do all we can to lower the incidence of type-2 diabetes, strokes and heart attacks to free up resources that can be used in other parts of the economy. At this time of rethinking budgetary priorities, the opportunity costs associated with the treatment of preventable diseases is, frankly, too high. This is both a health and economic policy issue.

We must all pay more attention to campaigns that promote healthy lifestyles. We all know that the key to good health is through proper diet and exercise; it is in our own – and our country’s – interests to pay heed. Prevention is always better than cure.