Dr. Hussam Abdulrusool, a young neurologist, is on a mission to enhance stroke care in Iraq.
His journey began at Baghdad Medical City, a sprawling complex of teaching hospitals located on the eastern bank of the river Tigris. Pertinent to our story is that Baghdad’s largest and oldest hospital is located within a 10-minute walk of the Iraqi Ministry of Health. This proximity will play a role in Dr Hussam’s considerable efforts and success in transforming stroke care in Iraq.
After completing his neurology training, Dr Hussam had the opportunity to remain at Med City rather than pay his dues in distant locations. The doors to the neurology department however remained closed as Dr Hussam was assigned to the long hard grind of the emergency department. It was, he says, “a magnificent opportunity” to understand the acute challenges of stroke care.
By the time he joined the neurology department in 2020, he had a clear vision: to revolutionize stroke treatment in Iraq.
In 2022, Dr Hussam took a bold step. He took a 10 minute walk to presenting his case for stroke treatment directly to the ministerial consultation committee. However unable to secure the consultants’ support for his proposal, Dr Hussam allowed the idea to go dormant for a year before he decided on an even bolder strategy – a direct appeal to Dr Salih Mahdi Muttalib al-Hasnawi, who’d been health minister since October 2022.
By now familiar with the route between his hospital and the ministry, Dr Hussam attended a crucial meeting in September 2023, and made three requests: A consultation committee dedicated to stroke, a national Iraq stroke program, and opportunities for doctors to study vascular neurology abroad.
Dr Salih agreed with and endorsed his proposal. What followed was the creation of a stroke committee for which Dr Hussam sought out the participation of Dr Namir Mohammed and Dr Temeem Al-Timimy. While they threw themselves into developing a national stroke protocol from scratch, attitudes towards acute stroke treatment began to shift.
In fact Dr Husasm had started drafting a protocol five years earlier. Then, as now, his goal was to make it as flexible as possible. It allowed for immediate treatment in the ER, followed by monitoring and transfer to specialized units, making it adaptable to various hospital settings across all Iraq.
The protocol was adopted on 21 lipca 2024 and within a month the first Angels stroke webinar took place via Zoom, featuring prominent speakers such as MENASO president and Angels global steering committee member, Dr Suhail Al-Rukn.
Although those 10-minute walks are finally producing results, Dr Hussam’s work is just beginning. The Iraqi national stroke program requires a practical roadmap, extensive training, and continued collaboration with international advisors.
A significant milestone was the first Iraqi Stroke Conference, coordinated with Angels’ support, held in Baghdad on 8 listopada 2024 that marked a crucial step in uniting healthcare professionals and advancing stroke care across the nation.
Dr Hussam’s dedication extends beyond administrative duties. He has created a specialists’ group on social media, with 135 physicians, including stroke neurologists and other specialists from all 18 governorates of Iraq, to facilitate communication and support.
He remains a problem-solver and trouble-shooter for hospitals aiming to enhance their stroke services.
“Emergency treatment for ischemic stroke is the most vital intervention of all,” Dr Husam says. “It can transform a patient’s life from near death to normalcy. There’s no other treatment like it.”
Driven by a sense of duty and a passion for solving complex medical puzzles, Dr Hussam believes in his mission. “I had the connections, the will, the vision, and the experience. If I didn't do it, no one else would. This is my mission, and I believe in myself,” he says.
