Strokes are the third biggest killer of Irish people after heart disease and cancer, and the number of stroke patients looks set to increase in the coming years.
But how well equipped are we to deal with them?
Dr. Ruairi Hanley explained that the situation needs to improve.
"Irish people are now living longer and as a result we're going to see more strokes in the years to come. Over the last decade, we're seeing a situation where people are getting these clot-busting drugs in Irish hospitals that are essentially reversing the stroke and preventing the damage from happening. However, it's not happening as much as it should be."
"We have 21 stroke units in Ireland, but the entire programme seems to be undermined by the HSE. In a lot of cases the money and resources are in place, but doctors and experts in strokes are being undermined by HSE bureaucrats due to petty jealousies and incompetence, and frankly I think that's outrageous."
