PESHAWAR: Khyber Teaching Hospital has started administering a new injection to save lives of stroke-hit patient as a 60-year-old received the medicine on Sunday.

“The patient is doing well as she was brought to the hospital within one hour of the attack and therefore stood better chances of recovery,” KTH medical director Dr Sajjadullah Dawar told Dawn.

He said that patients should reach hospital ideally within three hours of the stroke attack but the result of patients visiting the health facility within four to five hours was also good.

Dr Sajjad, a neurosurgeon, said that they got stock of the medicine from hospital’s funds to be provided free of cost to patients. “Meanwhile, the government has agreed to include this drug in Sehat Card Plus (SCP) scheme so that people could benefit from it in long-run,” he said.

The administration of the injection has already been started in Hayatabad Medical Complex and Lady Reading Hospital in Peshawar that helped scores of stroke-hit people to recover.

Govt urged to include the medicine in Sehat Card Plus scheme

However, both LRH and HMC administrations have been requesting the government to provide it on SCP because it is very expensive and majority of patients cannot afford it.

Dr Sajjad said that government would soon announce to cover the cost of new therapy under SCP to ensure provision of smooth services to patients. LRH and HMC have been providing the injection to patients on cost-sharing basis.

However, it has been provided totally free to some deserving patients but its inclusion in SCP will make this drug available to all the patients, who need it.

He said that they had developed proper protocol and team of specialist doctors to ensure that the new medical technique for free treatment of patients suffering from stroke helped people.

“The injection is known for saving lives of patients and protecting them from disabilities caused by stroke,” said Dr Sajjad.

He said that the tissue plasminogen activator (TPA) injection was used in hyper acute stroke within three hours to open up clotted artery and was administered to patients after very careful selection process.

“So far, results are excellent as most of the patients, who received it in LRH and HMC, have recovered,” he added.

He said that people should bear in mind that patients should be brought to hospitals immediately. He said that stroke was sudden onset of weakness in limbs or face, which was the most disabling disease of the world.

Dr Sajjad said that it caused death and disabilities, making patients bedridden when not treated in a timely manner. He said that it all depended on how quick a patient was shifted to hospital and administered the injection, imported from Germany.

“Cure rate is almost as per international standard. We are also imparting skills to our trainee doctors so that they could save lives when posted outside Peshawar,” he said.

He said that the cost of one vial of injection was Rs80,000 and the dose was calculated at 0.9 mg per kilogram so many patients might need two vials and the expenditure was doubled.

Dr Sajjad said that discharging patients from hospitals depended on their condition as they were constantly monitored by a team of physician, radiologist, pathologist, cardiologist and neurologist.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2025