Having a stroke is a terrifying thing. Globally, strokes are the leading cause of death and disability.

And to bring it closer to home, strokes are the fourth most common causes of death in Singapore. In 2018 alone, there were 8300 stroke cases admitted to Singapore public hospitals. And that is approximately 1 in 4 adults.

This is a scary statistic. And we cannot help but question if this may happen to us or to our closest loved ones. Unfortunately, for such a dangerous silent killer, many have little to no knowledge about the subject.

Thankfully, this year, Stroke Services Improvement (SSI) is organising a National Stroke Awareness campaign. Supported by the Ministry of Health (MOH), this campaign aims to educate the public on how to STOP and SPOT stroke.

There is much more we need to do, and we have planned a series of virtual initiatives that allow us to reach out everyone from children to seniors,

A/Prof. Deidre Anne De Silva, SSI Chair and NNI Senior Consultant Neurologist

Young and old must be stroke smart

SSI will be reaching out to the public in community areas such as HDB lift lobbies and mail drops to homes. They are also going to have a larger social media focus on stroke prevention and detection. You can expect a wide range of activities for every age group to raise awareness about the dangers of stroke and that it is preventable.

For the seniors, there will be an exciting e-getai event. Centred on the theme of “Be Stroke Smart”, this event features popular getai artists and is hosted by Lin Ru Ping. The event will present bite-sized information such as the F.A.S.T. acronym (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) often used to identify the common symptoms of stroke. But in an entertaining and memorable manner.

These getai performances will be livestreamed on 5th November. Catch it on the Spot Stroke Facebook page and LEX-S Watch Live Channel’s platform.

And for children, they can expect to see the launch of a F.A.S.T. Heroes storybook adapted for young local readers.

Virtual initiatives

Virtually, SSI is organising a #SpotStrokeFast challenge. This is a series of three illustrations of iconic locations in Singapore. They feature the SpotStroke icons and some people suffering from stroke. The public is then challenged to spot people experiencing a stroke, comment on Facebook how long they took to spot the characters and tag their friends to share and educate others on how to spot stroke symptoms.

An example of the SpotStroke icons

Finally, the Stroke Support Station (S3) is continuing to support stroke survivors in these unprecedented times. This is going to be done with the Re-Learn and Enjoy Active Living (R.E.A.L.) programme. It consists of a range of holistic curriculum aimed at supporting stroke survivors and their caregivers by helping them achieve a better quality of life. To find out more, visit the official Spot Stroke Facebook page.

Images : Spot Stroke Facebook Page, Stroke Services Improvement