Centre looking to expand network of stroke units, says health secy

India currently has 500 stroke units and the government is planning to expand this network to ensure wider access to specialised care, Union Health Secretary Punya Srivastava said on Wednesday.

 

Srivastava added that stroke, which is often caused by conditions like diabetes and hypertension, is largely preventable.

 

“While the ICMR is undertaking studies to establish stroke care pathways and specialised stroke units, the government is also committed to implement a hub-and-spoke model for stroke care,” she said.

 

This would ensure optimised resource allocation and equitable access to specialised treatments and rehabilitation services nationwide, Srivastava said while addressing the National Stroke Summit 2025, organised by industry body FICCI.

 

 

Srivastava said that by recognising the critical importance of prevention, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has prioritised primary prevention strategies within its national health programs.

 

These centres are integral to the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), she said.

 

The government’s move to increase the number of stroke units comes against the backdrop of a steady rise in cases of strokes in the country. According to a study recently published in the Lancet Neurology Journal, India registered over 1.25 million new stroke cases in 2021, a 51 per cent increase compared to 650,000 cases in 1990.

 

Additionally, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has reported that stroke accounts for 41 per cent of all non-communicable disease (NCD) mortality and 72 per cent of NCD-related disability-adjusted life years.

 

Industry looking for an opening in stroke care

 

The medtech industry is also looking for an opening in stroke care, with experts suggesting collaborations such as public-private partnerships (PPP).

 

Commenting on the need for industry to help minimise the high prevalence of stroke, Mandeep Singh Kumar, Vice President and Managing Director, Medtronic India said that PPPs integrate advanced technologies and private-sector expertise into public healthcare systems, upgrading infrastructure for an integrated stroke care ecosystem, such as the hub-and-spoke model and leverage AI integration in stroke management.

 

While the government has included procedures such as Mechanical Thrombectomy (removal of blood clot from a blood vessel) in the Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY) scheme, the industry is also looking at scaling up on infrastructure development after the scheme’s expansion to cover all people aged 70 and above.

 

“Scaling up the hub-and-spoke model requires focused efforts on infrastructure development. Expanding this model will enable more clinics and hospitals in districts and smaller towns to connect seamlessly with hub super-specialised hospitals, ensuring wider access to advanced stroke care and timely interventions,” Kumar said.