July 14, 2023
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington has welcomed the announcement that stroke sufferers could soon be able to receive immediate stroke-specific care in the Nanango electorate.
On Monday, the State Government announced that a $5.8 million virtual Telestroke service would be rolled out through regional and remote Queensland.
The Telestroke service will help provide faster diagnosis and treatment for stroke, critical for recovery.
Specialists will be able to assess brain scans and view patients remotely via video to effectively diagnose and decide on a treatment plan as quickly as possible.
No date has been set for the launch, except that it will start at some time in 2024, when details of the process have been finalised.
“Telestroke has been available to all Australian States and Territories except Queensland,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“In May 2022 I wrote to the then Health Minister Yvette D’Ath calling for Telestroke in regional Queensland and I have since followed it up with a Parliamentary Question on Notice to the Health Minister.
“I have fought this issue on the floor of Parliament on many occasions and I am glad the Health Minister has finally listened to the calls of our community.
“In particular, I would like to thank Rishana and Graham Smith for taking up the fight for stroke sufferers and their families.
“I first met Rishana and Graham in May 2022 when they formed the South Burnett Stroke Support Group and they have been very proactive in their fight for this service after Graham suffered a stroke 15 years ago.
“I’ve been fighting for better regional and rural health care since being elected, and whilst this announcement is well overdue, I look forward to the people of the South Burnett having access to Telestroke in 2024.
“There is so much work to do in ensuring our health services in the Nanango electorate are adequate for our growing population and I will keep fighting hard as the local voice for the Nanango electorate.”
Bouquets to the Smiths and Mrs Frecklington for obtaining the Stroke Telehealth for stroke sufferers in the SB.
EUREKA! I have been advocating through the National Stroke Foundation for 13 years for vast improvements for rural people all over Australia.
At last enlightenment is on the way.
It has always been crucial and urgent to distinguish between the causation of clots (80%) or bleeds (15%) given there is a golden time frame of 4 hours to administer clot-busting drugs to prevent neuron death thus permanent damage,
I, myself, had a major brain bleed in 2010 that has left me permanently disabled for now 13 years.
No doubt Telehealth will be a huge advantage to the doctors in beinfg able to treat their patients FAST (the war cry of stroke management).