The Steve Biko Academic Hospital has been awarded the World Stroke Organisation (WSO) Angels Diamond Award in recognition of its excellent work in acute stroke care.
The hospital is the first in the country to be awarded the award.
The Angel’s Initiative is a unique healthcare initiative that assists hospitals around the world to be “stroke-ready” in order for patients who have suffered a stroke to be treated promptly.
It also seeks to reduce the burden of stroke for countless patients by working with hospitals to build an innovative network of stroke-ready hospitals worldwide, to reduce treatment delays, and provide patients with the best acute stroke care.
Mathabo Mathebula, CEO of the Steve Biko Academic Hospital, said it is a great honour to be awarded the diamond status for stroke management by WSO.
“This achievement has been a milestone in our journey and is a reflection of the relentless work our doctors have been doing to provide the best care to our patients at an international standard,” she said.
Mathebula said the hospital is committed to improving outcomes of strokes by ensuring that every patient admitted to the facility gets access to stroke care that will optimize their survival and recovery.
Professor Mandisa Kakaza, head of neurology at Steve Biko Academic Hospital, said: “It is crucial that the hospital has the right diagnostic equipment and well-trained staff to offer appropriate care and treatment without any delay.
“Our team aims to deliver continuous enhancements, and therefore, we have implemented training and aligned with international standards to ensure better care and support to reduce the burden of stroke that affects our communities.”
Jan van der Merwe, co-founder and project lead for The Angels Initiative, stated that eight years ago when they started the initiative, South Africa only had a handful of hospitals that could be considered “stroke-ready”.
“Today, we have more than 170 [hospitals], the improvement in stroke care in South Africa is a story that has inspired other countries across the world to improve their own stroke care in ways they never thought possible.”
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