World Stroke Organization rewards 5 Malaysian hospitals for outstanding stroke care

The World Stroke Organization (WSO) has recognized five Malaysian hospitals for achieving international standards in their stroke care practices. The WSO Angels Award is part of the Angels Initiative, launched by Boehringer Ingelheim, which engages hospitals to improve the quality of stroke care through continuous training and consultations.

First introduced in Malaysia in 2017, the Angels Initiative actively collaborates with the Malaysian Stroke Council (MSC) to engage with over 34 hospitals nationwide. As part of the ongoing engagement, hospitals are encouraged to submit records of their stroke cases including the procedures and therapies administered to qualify for the WSO Angels Award. The data is recorded in the Registry of Stroke Care Quality (RES-Q), which is then evaluated against various measures to determine if they qualify for the Gold Status, Platinum Status, or Diamond Status awards.

A total of 12 hospitals in Malaysia have been enrolled in the RES-Q since 2019. Of the 12, five hospitals have successfully obtained the Gold and Diamond awards since Quarter 3 of 2019:

To qualify for the Diamond Award, hospitals must treat stroke patients in a dedicated stroke unit or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) throughout their hospital stay. They would also have to be able to treat at least 50% of patients with recanalization therapy within 45 minutes upon arrival at the hospital and 75% within 60 minutes. Visit the WSO website to learn more about the requirements for the WSO Angels Awards: https://www.world-stroke.org/what-we-do/education-and-research/improving-access-to-quality-stroke-care/wso-awards.

Pantai Hospital Penang is the first hospital in Malaysia to receive the Diamond Award. The hospital even managed to do it for two consecutive quarters.

“We are very proud to receive the Diamond Award from WSO for two consecutive quarters. Stroke care is a serious practice for our hospital as we understand that every second counts with stroke. Since joining the Angels Initiative, we have received a lot of support from the consultants from Angels and MSC which has also pushed us to invest the time in training our medical staff and acquiring the necessary tools to provide medical treatment to stroke patients. This is something we will definitely continue doing to ensure that our fellow Penangites have a better chance of recovery from stroke,” said Dr Wong Yee Choon, Consultant Neurologist at Pantai Hospital Penang.

Meanwhile, Sarawak General Hospital also successfully received awards for two consecutive quarters – the Gold in Q4 2019 and Diamond in Q1 2020.

“When we heard that we qualified for the Gold Award in Q4 2019, it was a huge motivating factor for us to do even better to achieve the Diamond Award. Our team put in a lot of effort to improve our accuracy and efficiency when treating our patients here in Sarawak, and I am glad to see that our hard work has paid off. We are determined to continue improving our practice to serve our community well as a reliable stroke-ready hospital and also continue our winning streak,” added Dr Law Wan Chung, Consultant Neurologist from Sarawak General Hospital.

Immediate medical attention and getting the right treatment is critical for all stroke patients. However, not all hospitals are equipped with the necessary facilities or expertise for proper stroke care. That is why the MSC and Angels Initiative are determined to engage with more hospitals across Malaysia to improve their stroke care.

“Stroke continues to be a very common, and sometimes deadly, condition in Malaysia. It is also incredibly time-sensitive. So it is important for us to continue empowering more doctors and medical staff to deliver the best quality of stroke care, with the right assessment and treatment. After over a year with Angels Initiative, we are delighted to find that many hospitals are seeing positive results in the recovery rates of their stroke patients. The WSO Angels Award is just the icing on the cake, for us to recognize the hospitals that go above and beyond in their stroke care,” said Associate Professor Dr Hoo Fan Kee, President of MSC.

The awards were presented by Datuk Dr Rohaizat Yon, Deputy Director-General of Health Malaysia, at the opening ceremony of the Malaysia Stroke Virtual Conference. Organized by the MSC at Everly Hotel, Putrajaya, the conference was participated by doctors and healthcare professionals in person, while 3,000 more healthcare professionals also attended the conference virtually from other parts of the country and the region as well.

The conference addressed key topics related to stroke care in Malaysia, including setting up a stroke-ready hospital and different treatment options for stroke patients. Some of these topics were also part of the measurements of the WSO Angels Award.