Health professionals and foundation renewing calls for dedicated stroke unit in Manitoba

WINNIPEG — Two thousand Manitobans will suffer a stroke this year; that’s six every single day.

It’s a statistic that has neurologists and the Heart and Stroke Foundation calling for an immediate commitment from the province to build a dedicated stroke unit.

Manitoba is the only province in the country that does not have one.

A stroke unit is a specialized hospital unit dedicated to the care and management of stroke patients and is staffed by an interprofessional team that has specialized training in stroke care. The stroke team has the knowledge, expertise and resources to help patients achieve the fullest recovery possible.

This early expert care has an impact on how well a patient continues to recover further down the road. Dedicated stroke units can reduce the chance of disability and death by as much as 30 per cent, according to the Heart and Stroke Foundation.

“If you’re going to have a stroke you would be better off in other places than in Manitoba,” said Elizabeth Ready, Chair of the Provincial Advisory Board, for the Heart & Stroke Foundation. “In terms of the care, in terms of the likelihood of dying or having an on-going disability, having complications or a recurrence… the numbers do show you would have less of that (if treated at a dedicated stroke unit).”

Darcy Townson suffered a debilitating stroke slightly over two years ago. He suffers from memory loss and severe paralysis.

“My right side of my body is basically paralyzed,” said Townson. “I’ve gotten to the point now where I can hobble very short distances with a cane.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "My right side of my body is basically paralyzed," said Townson. "I've gotten to the point now where I can hobble very short distances with a cane."

The 47-year-old was treated at multiple hospitals and said it took two days before doctors noticed a major bleed in his brain, which caused a massive seizure.

“They basically told my wife I wasn’t coming back,” he said. “They told her to prepare for the worst.”

While Townson’s life has dramatically changed…he’s alive.

But Townson continues to wonder if his outcome may have been different had he been treated at a dedicated stroke unit.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have had so much paralysis on this side of my body,” he said. “I don’t know, but I would have liked to have had the opportunity.”

While the Health Minister said she has been in discussions with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority and medical professionals, there is no timeline for when Manitobans could expect to have the same level of stroke care from a dedicated unit as patients in other provinces already have.