A stroke occurs when the brain is damaged after being deprived of blood by a blockage or a haemorrhage in the blood vessels. While strokes are often regarded as a by-product of advanced age, stroke patients in the UAE tend to be much younger than in Europe and other comparable regions. While most strokes in Europe occur in people aged between 60 and 75, in the Emirates the danger period is between the ages of 40 and 55 - which many people view as the prime of life.
It's welcome news that medical professionals and health authorities are taking the incidence of stroke seriously and are investing resources and expertise in the area. To that end, a dedicated stroke treatment centre will open at Al Qasimi Hospital in Sharjah early next year.
As The National reported yesterday, the new centre will have the latest equipment for the emergency treatment and rehabilitation of these patients. More importantly, it will have dedicated staff and streamlined, rehearsed procedures.
According to Dr Gunther Wihl, a consultant neurologist at The City Hospital in Dubai, professional treatment is essential to the recovery chances of stroke patients.
The time between the incident and the commencement of treatment is crucial: the shorter the better, but certainly it must occur within the first four-and-a-half hours for the patient to have a positive prognosis.
Many people recover completely or with minor disabilities, but stroke can be permanently disabling or fatal if it is not treated properly and quickly by people who know what they are doing.
The facility in Sharjah will be the second specialist centre in the UAE; the other is at Dubai's Rashid Hospital. As Dr Wihl points out, the nation needs more of them. There is also an urgent need for triage staff in all hospitals to be trained to recognise stroke patients on arrival at the emergency room, and to fast-track them for critical care.
Even with professional help at hand when it is needed, it is also important for people to know the symptoms of stroke, which can include, but are not limited to, sudden headache, loss of speech, numbness or paralysis down one side of the body, and confusion.
While it may be something of a cliché when it comes to medical advice, this is an occasion when swift action really will save lives.
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
If you go
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
The trip
The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
The hotel
There isn’t another hotel anywhere in Madeira that matches the history and luxury of the Belmond Reid's Palace in Funchal. Doubles from Dh1,400 per night including taxes.
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
The five pillars of Islam
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
How it works
Each player begins with one of the great empires of history, from Julius Caesar's Rome to Ramses of Egypt, spread over Europe and the Middle East.
Round by round, the player expands their empire. The more land they have, the more money they can take from their coffers for each go.
As unruled land and soldiers are acquired, players must feed them. When a player comes up against land held by another army, they can choose to battle for supremacy.
A dice-based battle system is used and players can get the edge on their enemy with by deploying a renowned hero on the battlefield.
Players that lose battles and land will find their coffers dwindle and troops go hungry. The end goal? Global domination of course.
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
