New Delhi, 22 Jan (UNI) To strengthen emergency medical care for stroke patients in rural and remote areas of Assam, the Centre has handed over two mobile stroke units to the state, according to an official announcement on Thursday.
The handover was coordinated by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), an apex medical body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
The move is targeted at taking the hospitals to the patients, particularly those requiring emergent medical care.
“The handover strengthens Assam’s emergency response system and ensures continuity of this life-saving service under state ownership,” said Ashok Babu, Secretary & Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam.
He further added that the collaboration with ICMR will enable faster treatment, better coordination, and improved outcomes for stroke patients, and provides a strong foundation for expansion.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) identifies stroke as the second leading cause of death globally, responsible for approximately 11per cent of all deaths. In India, stroke ranks as the fourth leading cause of death and the fifth leading cause of disability according to a 2018 Lancet study.
A 2024 analysis published in Scientific Reports reports these trends in Assam, where stroke incidence increased from 89 to 108 cases per 1 lakh population during the same period. The study also found a rise in the disease burden, with stroke-related deaths and years lived with disability climbing from 1,965 in 1990 to 2,029 per one lakh population in 2021.
Recognising the need for critical and time-bound care in rural, remote, and difficult terrain in Northeast India, Mobile Stroke Units are now introduced in the North-eastern state, aiding the emergency medical services for treating rural acute ischemic stroke patients.
Often described as “hospitals on wheels”, it is equipped with a CT scanner, teleconsultation with specialists, a point-of-care laboratory, and clot-busting drugs. According to health officials, this intervention enables early diagnosis and treatment of stroke at or near the patient’s home.
As part of the programme, ICMR established a neurologist-led stroke unit at Assam Medical College & Hospital, Dibrugarh, and physician-led stroke units at Tezpur Medical College Hospital and Baptist Christian Hospital, Tezpur. The two mobile units were integrated into this pre-hospital stroke care system, cutting treatment time from nearly 24 hours to around two hours, according to an official statement.
Between 2021 and August 2024, the MSUs responded to more than 2,300 emergency calls. Trained nurses screened 294 suspected stroke cases, with around 90 per cent of patients treated directly at their homes, the ministry said.
Officials also noted that linking the mobile stroke units with the 108 emergency ambulance service expanded coverage to a radius of up to 100 km.
