India is the second country globally to integrate Mobile Stroke Units with emergency medical services to boost treatment in rural areas, said Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR.
Bahl stated this as the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) handed over two Mobile Stroke Units (MSUs) to the Assam government, marking a major shift from stroke patients in remote areas having to travel to hospitals to hospitals reaching patients.
The initiative is part of an ICMR-funded initiative to study ‘Stroke Care Pathways' in the region. After the pilot phase ended, the ICMR donated the units to ensure that people of Assam continue to receive rapid treatment for cerebrovascular emergencies.
“Mobile Stroke Units were first developed in Germany and later evaluated in major global cities. India has evaluated such units in rural, remote, and difficult terrain in Northeast India. We are also the second country globally to report successful integration of an MSU with emergency medical services for treating rural acute ischemic stroke patients,” Bahl said.
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in India and requires timely care within the golden hour.
“The handover strengthens Assam's emergency response system and ensures continuity of this life-saving service under state ownership,” said P. Ashok Babu, Secretary & Commissioner, Health, Assam.
He noted that the collaboration with ICMR has enabled faster treatment, better coordination, and improved outcomes for stroke patients, and provides a strong foundation for expansion.
The MSU is a mobile hospital on wheels, equipped with a CT scanner, teleconsultation with specialists, point-of-care laboratory, and clot-busting drugs, enabling early diagnosis and treatment of stroke at or near the patient's home.
The Northeast has a disproportionately high burden of stroke. Difficult terrain, long distances, and limited access to specialised care have historically made timely stroke treatment challenging.
To address this, the 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 Mobile Stroke Units were embedded into this pre-hospital stroke care pathway.
The model reduced treatment time from nearly 24 hours to about 2 hours, reduced deaths by one-third, and reduced disability by eight times, the Ministry said.
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