A public campaign around World Stroke Day teaching the FAST test — Face, Arms, Speech, Time — and what to do in the first hour. The single message is that a stroke is an emergency to be treated tonight, not a weakness to be watched until morning.
Treatment that can dissolve a clot and reverse a stroke works only within a narrow window from the moment symptoms begin. In practice, most stroke patients reaching hospitals in this district arrive well outside that window — not because the hospital is far, but because the family waited to see whether the weakness would settle by itself.
The campaign teaches one simple check that anyone can perform. Face: ask the person to smile, and look for one side drooping. Arms: ask them to raise both arms, and see whether one drifts down. Speech: ask them to repeat a simple sentence, and listen for slurring or confusion. Time: if any of these is abnormal, call 108 immediately and note the exact time symptoms started.
Campaign sessions run at the hospital and at community gatherings, and cover what not to do as well — do not give food or water, do not wait for the patient to sleep it off, do not attempt oil massage or home remedies, and do not drive to a pharmacy first.
The team also explains that a weakness or speech problem that clears up within minutes is not reassuring. A transient ischaemic attack is a warning that a major stroke may follow within days, and it needs assessment the same day.
Session details and materials for schools, workplaces and village groups can be requested through /contact-us.