'New Life' for stroke victims after rehabilitation
A documentary aiming to heighten public awareness on rehabilitation for people who have had strokes was released on Friday, China's Brain Health Day.
The documentary, "New Life," chronicles the treatment and rehabilitation process of two local stroke patients who experienced emergency rescue and the despair from complications like not being able to walk steadily or speak. However, both improved after training and rehabilitation and are enjoying a "new life," said officials from Shanghai International Medical Center, which jointly shot the documentary along with Consanas Rehabilitation under pharmaceutical giant Boehringer-Ingelheim.
Strokes are the No.1 cause of death and disability for people in China. More than 3.5 million Chinese suffer from strokes every year, and the number is expected to rise to 5 million in 2030. About 70 to 80 percent of stroke survivors suffer from various disabilities and other complications, many of whom lose their ability to take care of themselves.
The Healthy China 2030 plan calls for early diagnoses, treatments and recoveries for stroke victims.
"Stroke survivors usually have disabilities in terms of movement, language, perception and swallowing. Proper rehabilitation is the most effective way to reduce these issues, improve stroke victims' quality of life and prevent second strokes," said Dr Paul Schönle, a German expert at the international medical center, which has a stroke rehabilitation center utilizing international standards and theory through cooperation with professional German teams and facilities.
Dr Paul Schönle (center), a German expert at Shanghai International Medical Center, is featured in the documentary.
Experts says that timing is a crucial factor for recovery.
Eight to 12 weeks after a stroke is the best time for rehabilitation, according to experts from the medical center, but only 11.5 percent of stroke survivors in China receive rehabilitation in time and more than 42 percent never receive any rehabilitation.
Because over 45 percent of stroke survivors who receive proper rehabilitation are able to go back to work, experts said it is important to promote awareness among the public.
"The documentary features two successful patients who grasp the crucial timing for rehabilitation and receive good results to educate stroke victims and their families on the importance of proper and timely rehabilitation," said Dr Liu Weidong, president of Shanghai International Medical Center. "People who have had strokes and receive rehabilitation within six months have much better results than those who begin rehabilitation later."
