In a significant step towards strengthening stroke care in rural and difficult terrains, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) handed over two Mobile Stroke Units (MSUs) to the Government of Assam, marking a paradigm shift in delivering timely, life-saving treatment for stroke patients. Stroke remains one of the leading causes of death and long-term disability in India, where every minute of delay results in the loss of nearly 1.9 million brain cells.
Handing over the MSUs, Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR, stated that while Mobile Stroke Units were first developed and evaluated in advanced urban settings globally, India has successfully implemented and evaluated this innovation in rural, remote and difficult terrains of Northeast India. He noted that India is now the second country globally to report successful integration of MSUs with emergency medical services for treating rural acute ischemic stroke patients.
The Mobile Stroke Unit functions as a hospital on wheels, equipped with a CT scanner, point-of-care laboratory, teleconsultation facilities and clot-busting drugs, enabling rapid diagnosis and treatment at or near the patient’s home. This innovation is especially crucial in regions where travel to a stroke-ready hospital can take several hours.
Sharing Assam’s experience, Shri P. Ashok Babu, Secretary & Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam, said that the handover strengthens the State’s emergency response system and ensures continuity and scalability of the service.
The impact has been transformative. The MSU model reduced treatment time from nearly 24 hours to about 2 hours, cut mortality by one-third, and reduced disability by eight times. Integrated with the 108 emergency ambulance service, the MSUs have expanded access to advanced stroke care across a 100 km radius, bringing critical healthcare closer to the most vulnerable populations.
