The Percy Junor Hospital (PJH) in north east Manchester has launched its unprecedented stroke registry and support services, aimed at capturing vital information to inform policy and treatment decisions and also to provide support for families in caring for relatives diagnosed with stroke.
Physiotherapist at the PJH, Roosevelt Carty (centre) is pictured with the stroke registry after its launch while looking on are: (left to right) Consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecologist at the PJH, Dr. Christopher Fletcher, Physiotherapist at the Mandeville Regional Hospital, Avalyn Williams, Physiotherapist at the PJH, Dionne Smith-Hall, Regional Technical Director at the Southern Regional Health Authority, Dr. Vitillius Holder, Acting Parish Manager for the Manchester Health Services, Sandia Chambers-Ferguson and CEO for the PJH, Carlton Nichols.Roosevelt Carty, physiotherapist at the PJH and initiator of the registry noted that for the period, July 2018 to March 2019, the hospital has diagnosed 43 patients with stroke, with the two youngest patients being 28 and 33 years old.
“You would expect to see these numbers at a larger hospital and not at the PJH, which is a Type C facility. The stroke registry will be placed in the accident and emergency department and once a patient is assessed and given the tentative diagnosis and if they are experiencing a stroke for the first time, their information will be collated and entered into the registry. This will be an ongoing research and over time, we will be analyzing the data to ascertain the types of trends and patterns associated with the condition” Mr. Carty explained.
The physiotherapist added that the ongoing research will ascertain the patterns, socio-economic factors, demographics and lifestyles that contribute to stroke, which will inform policy decisions and a standardized approach in treating stroke patients.
“Caregivers are equally affected when a family member is diagnosed with stroke and on July 1 we will begin hosting meetings on the hospital compound to provide caregivers and family members with counseling and other services in caring for their family members diagnosed with stroke. We will be teaching family members how to do things properly and how to help their family members back into society” Mr. Carty said.
For CEO of the PJH, Carlton Nichols, the stroke registry is relevant to the community and the country. He lauded Mr. Carty for pioneering such an initiative which he said will be of incredible value.
Mr. Carty noted that the PJH began offering in-patient physiotherapy services in July 2018 and provides care to patients in Manchester, Clarendon and from as far as St. Ann, Trelawny and St. Elizabeth.
The stroke registry and support services was launched on Friday, June 28 on the compound of the PJH in north east Manchester at the hospital’s Customer Appreciation Day, which also marked the 74th anniversary of the hospital.
