Santiago Hospital Unveils Stroke Care Model Aimed at Nationwide Expansion
A Santiago hospital treated 42 patients with stroke clot-busting therapy in ten months. Its model could now be replicated at other centers across the Dominican Republic.
Key points
- Fibrinolysis was administered to 42 patients in ten months.
- The model links peripheral centers with specialized units.
- The Ministry of Public Health plans to add new nodes to a national plan.
As part of World Stroke Day, the José María Cabral y Báez Regional University Hospital in Santiago presented progress on its cerebrovascular care model. The initiative, called Código Ictus, aims to serve as a reference so other hospitals in the country can gradually provide care for this condition.
The event brought together national and provincial authorities, hospital leaders, specialists, residents, patients and families. Attendees included Public Health Minister Víctor Atallah; Santiago Senator Daniel Rivera; provincial governor Rosa Santos; and hospital director José Luis Bautista.
Dr. Cristina Ramos, a vascular neurologist and coordinator of stroke network implementation for the Ministry of Public Health, explained that the model connects peripheral centers with specialized units. Through a network for identifying, referring and transferring patients, the goal is to detect cases early and reduce the time between symptom onset and treatment.
Among the results highlighted, the hospital reported treating 42 patients with fibrinolysis over a ten-month period. The Cabral y Báez serves as the "mother hospital," coordinating specialized care and linking peripheral centers.
The experience will serve as a basis for gradually adding new nodes to the Ministry of Public Health's national plan, by enabling thrombolysis units at hospitals that meet the necessary conditions.
Why it matters
If a stroke happens near home, the time to treatment could shorten at more hospitals in the Dominican Republic, which can make a real difference in recovery.