Beijing publishes first aid treatment map on World Stroke Day

BEIJING -- Beijing Health and Family Planning Commission published a map to help ambulance and medical staff locate facilities offering first aid treatment for stroke patients on Sunday, World Stroke Day, which is celebrated annually on Oct. 29.

A total of 69 hospitals, all of Beijing's emergency centers and a disease control center are listed on the map as able to provide emergency services for stroke patients.

The first aid treatment map aims to allow ambulance and medical staff to make sure patients suffering acute strokes receive treatment within one hour, the key period to lower impairment of nerve function caused by the condition.

Strokes have become a common cause of death in China. According to the National Health and Family Planning Commission's "Report on Stroke Prevention and Treatment in China" issued in 2016, China sees more than two million new stroke patients annually, and over 1.8 million people die from the condition each year. Many who survive a stroke suffer serious disabilities due to failing to receive timely treatment.