Centre to expand network of stroke units across country

New Delhi: Around 500 stroke units are operational across the country and the Centre is committed to expanding this network to ensure wider access to specialised care, Union Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said on Wednesday. “Recognising the critical importance of prevention, we have prioritised primary prevention strategies within our national health programs,” she said while addressing the National Stroke Summit 2025 organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). Stroke prevention remains a critical priority as India addresses the dual challenge of communicable and non-communicable diseases, she said.

While significant strides have been made in controlling communicable diseases, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) now account for 74 per cent of global mortality and 66 per cent of deaths in India, Srivastava said.

“Stroke, often caused by conditions like diabetes and hypertension, is largely preventable,” she said.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has undertaken pivotal studies to establish stroke care pathways, specialised units, and mobile stroke units.

Moreover, the government is fully committed to addressing the growing burden of NCDs by implementing a comprehensive hub-and-spoke model for stroke care, ensuring optimised resource allocation and equitable access to specialized treatments and rehabilitation services nationwide, she said. “With nearly 500 stroke care units operational, our focus remains on expanding this network to further enhance accessibility and improve patient outcomes by the next financial year,” Srivastava said. “Ayushman Bharat, our flagship universal health coverage scheme, not only provides financial protection for stroke care but also plays a pivotal role in addressing risk factors. Our Ayushman Arogya Mandir are at the forefront of health promotion, focusing on early identification and management of risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes, unhealthy diets, and physical inactivity,” she said.

These centres are integral to the National Programme for Prevention and Control of non-communicable diseases, Srivastava stated.

A study recently published in the International Journal of Stroke had said that ischaemic stroke is the most common, accounting for about 70-80 per cent of all strokes in India.

An ischaemic stroke is caused when a blood clot affects supply to the brain.

Researchers, including those from the US’ Ascension Health and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Hyderabad, found that a total of 566 stroke centres equipped with the ‘intravenous thrombolysis’ method of treatment (which breaks up blood clots) were spread across 26 states and union territories, the study had said.

Of the 566, over 60 per cent (361) were found to be also equipped with endovascular therapy for stroke patients, considered superior.