600,000 Stroke Patients Annually... Budget Allocation Remains '0'

People Power Party's Kang Ki-yoon Urges 'Allocation of Stroke Awareness Budget and Active Management'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Saeyan] The number of stroke patients in South Korea is increasing every year, but no budget has been allocated for stroke management.

According to data obtained by People Power Party lawmaker Kang Ki-yoon from the National Health Insurance Service, the number of patients treated for stroke over the past six years has increased annually: 530,000 in 2015, 570,000 in 2016, 570,000 in 2017, 590,000 in 2018, 610,000 in 2019, and 590,000 in 2020. Currently, an average of 600,000 people receive stroke treatment each year.

On the other hand, no budget has been allocated even for publicity necessary for stroke management, which is crucial for early response.

Lawmaker Kang pointed out, "Although South Korea has excellent medical personnel, equipment, and emergency rescue personnel, lack of knowledge about early stroke patients leads to cases where timely emergency treatment is not received, resulting in worsening conditions."

According to a 2017 comparative study on stroke status in Asian countries, the number of stroke deaths per 100,000 people is 43.4 in Japan, 56.8 in Taiwan, and 47.9 in Singapore, but in South Korea, it is significantly higher at 77.4.

Kang emphasized the importance of early emergency treatment, saying, "If stroke is not treated quickly, it can be fatal, and if timely emergency treatment is not provided, there is a risk of serious aftereffects. However, since the initial symptoms are clear, publicity and education can have a significant effect."

In fact, a specialist medical professional pointed out, "The golden time given to a patient who has collapsed due to stroke is only six hours, and emergency procedures must be completed within six hours. However, in reality, 45% of stroke patients in South Korea arrive at the emergency room more than six hours after symptom onset."

Therefore, lawmaker Kang said, "Since it is directly related to life, a budget for stroke publicity should be allocated to ensure proper early emergency treatment, and active management should be undertaken."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.