Tasmanians living in regional areas face a “cruel lottery” if they suffer from a stroke, Stroke Foundation clinical council Associate Professor Bruce Campbell says.
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The state was found to be one of the country’s stroke hotspots in a report released by the foundation in the lead up to National Stroke Week.
The organisation called for a national action campaign to raise awareness about the signs of stroke, with Tamanians expected to suffer 1500 strokes this year.
Tasmania and South Australia have the highest stroke incidence per capita in the country.
Mr Campbell said medically Australia was leading the way in treatment, but access presented a “cruel lottery” for many patients.
Stroke Foundation Tasmania state manager Scott Stirling said Tasmanians living in regional areas were more likely to die or be left with a permanent disability following a stroke because of limited access to treatment.
“It is a tragedy that only a small percentage of Tasmania’s stroke patients are getting access to the latest treatments and ongoing specialist care that we know saves lives,” Mr Stirling said.
A campaign would ensure all Australian households were aware of the F.A.S.T. acronym, which checked whether a person’s faced drooped, if they could lift their arms, if their speech was slurred or they could understand you, before calling 000 as time was critical, he said.
