New stroke recovery drug helps save lives.

PESHAWAR -- The new injection being administered to patients in Hayatabad Medical Complex and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar have helped about 30 stroke-hit people to recover, according to doctors.

Both the medical teaching institutions have requested the government to cover the cost of new therapy in Sehat Card Plus programme to ensure provision of smooth services to patients.

Lady Reading Hospital (LRH) purchased the new injection two months back and also received donations to provide the same free of cost to patients. Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) also started the new medical technique for free treatment of patients suffering from stroke.

Dr Asadullah Khan Addozai, an assistant professor at neurology ward of Lady Reading Hospital, said that the injection saved lives of patients and protected them from disabilities caused by stroke.

'Tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) injection is used in hyper acute stroke within three hours to open up clotted artery. It is administered to patients after very careful selection process. So far, results are excellent as all 11 patients are doing well,' he said.

LRH, HMC ask govt to include tissue plasminogen activator injection in Sehat Card Plus programme

He said that stroke survivors came on stretchers and wheelchairs to hospitals but went back healthy for homes without any support. He said that stroke was sudden onset of weakness in limbs or face, which was the most disabling disease of world.

'It causes deaths and disabilities, making patients bed-riddled when not treated in a timely manner. It all depends on how quick a patient is shifted to the hospital and administered the injection, imported from Germany,' he said.

Dr Asadullah, who joined LRH one year ago, has started administered the injections to patients in January this year. He said that the result of patients' treatment depended on their early arrival at hospital and prompt treatment.

'Currently our cure rate is 100 per cent better than...