Early detection can be critical when it comes to neurological conditions, with experts warning that symptoms of a stroke should never be ignored.
The Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association is focusing on strengthening neurological care and equipping healthcare practitioners to better identify and respond to these conditions.
Hosted under the theme, “From Symptom to System: Neurological Care at Every Level,” the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association brought together medical experts to examine neurological care and ways to strengthen patient outcomes.
TTMA President-Elect, Dr. Sunita Sudama, said the forum was also aimed at empowering patients.
“Here today at the Trinidad and Tobago Medical Association’s North branches meeting, we are focusing on empowering our patients to have the best medical care and neurological care, we’re focused on promoting continued medical education amongst our physicians in keeping with our motto of having our patients continuously learn and engage to treat their patients.”
For neurological conditions, experts said early recognition can make a critical difference.
Dr. Sherry Sandy is urging members of the public not to ignore symptoms such as facial weakness, weakness in the arms or difficulty walking.
“Time is brain so if they are experiencing any neurological symptoms such as facial weakness, weakness of the upper limb, difficulty walking, these aren’t symptoms to be ignored and to think that they are going to improve in a matter of time, that could be a stroke that are experiencing especially if you have risk factors such as diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension.”
She stressed that such symptoms could signal a stroke, particularly among people with risk factors.
“These are the things that you should be finding yourself in the emergency department having assessment and that was the outcome of what we were talking about today that don’t ignore these things that you might think that they just resolve with time, these are things that you know require urgent attention and it’s better that we make sure that it is ruled out.”
The conference sought to strengthen the healthcare system by equipping healthcare practitioners with the knowledge and tools to identify neurological conditions early,with patients receiving timely care at every level.