Global Patients, Local Expertise: Inside India’s Growing Stroke Treatment Network

New Delhi: When a stroke hits, time is everything and in India, the message truly resonates. India is quietly becoming a center of excellence for cutting-edge stroke care and rehabilitation, providing not only affordability, but the coming together of international clinical expertise and local excellence.

With nearly 1.5 million people experiencing a stroke each year, yet only about one in four get quick access to hospital equipped for advanced stroke care, the gap is clear. 

Stroke in India presents unique challenges: ischemic strokes account for an estimated 70-80% of all cases, and for many patients the nearest capable treatment centre is 115 km or more away, seriously jeopardising timely intervention. Yet at the same time, India’s private healthcare ecosystem with numerous NABH/JCI-accredited hospitals, internationally trained neurologists, and state-of-the-art neurointervention units is drawing global patients seeking cutting-edge treatment and streamlined rehabilitation.

“India is rapidly becoming a global destination for advanced stroke care, a place where international patients benefit not only from cost efficiency but also from world-class expertise within the country. Every year, India sees nearly 1.5 million stroke cases, 85 to 90 percent caused by a clot in major blood vessels of the brain. Yet only 25% of Indians have access to stroke-ready hospitals, a gap that is both a challenge and an opportunity for transformation.” says Pankaj Chandna, Co-Founder, Vaidam Health.

According to Chandna, they have witnessed this transformation closely. India’s top hospitals are now equipped with comprehensive stroke units, AI-assisted imaging, and robotic rehabilitation technology that ensures faster and secure recovery. The AI software provides automated analysis in less than 2 minutes, and stroke treatment time reduces from 60 min to 2 min. What’s remarkable is how this progress is now reaching patients worldwide. Through the digital healthcare platform and medical facilitation network, patients from across the globe are able to connect with India’s leading neurologists and stroke care specialists and have access to second opinions and can plan treatment with transparency and support.

A Nation on the Move: Expanding Access and Excellence

Over the past few years, India has witnessed a remarkable expansion of specialized stroke centres across major cities and even tier-2 regions. 

“One of the major reasons behind this growth is the rapid expansion of specialized stroke centers across the country. These centers are equipped with advanced neuroimaging technologies, mechanical thrombectomy facilities, and 24×7 emergency response systems. The availability of specialized stroke units even in tier-2 and tier-3 regions has greatly improved access to timely care. This is critical in stroke management where every minute counts,” says Dr. Vikrant Setia, Neurosurgeon – Interventional Neurosurgery.

India’s pool of highly trained neurologists, neurosurgeons, and interventional radiologists. All of them played a crucial role in this progress. Many of these specialists have trained or practiced abroad and are now bringing global standards of care to Indian hospitals. The collaboration between government initiatives, private hospitals, and telemedicine platforms has further strengthened the stroke care ecosystem. This could be done by ensuring early detection and quick referral pathways, especially in rural areas, he adds. 

The Human Face of Stroke: Awareness, Access, and the Cost of Delay

Despite progress, stroke remains a silent epidemic in India, warns Dr. Vikas Gupta, Neurointerventional Surgeon and Stroke Specialist at Kailash Deepak Hospital, Delhi.

Though no accurate Indian data is available however it is estimated approximately 200 to 300 people acute strokes occur in India per hour. Since the stroke is a painless disease the awareness about stroke in real life scenario is very sketchy. Normally, we see stroke after window, period, what is called “golden hour” in context of stroke window period of 3.5 hours – 4.5 hours or maybe 6 hours. The awareness about the fact that stroke can reversed by treatment is sketchy even among medical fraternity, he adds.

Dr. Gupta emphasizes the importance of the FAST principle — Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech slurring, and Time to act. “A minute’s delay in opening a blocked artery results in the death of millions of brain neurons,” he cautions.

However, he also highlights the socioeconomic barriers that patients face. The cost of advanced stroke procedures like mechanical thrombectomy ranges from ₹5 to ₹7 lakh. Convincing families to take immediate action when faced with such a decision can be difficult, many delay treatment, and by morning, regret sets in,” he shares candidly. “While awareness is essential, so is financial support. Just as the government funds emergency trauma care, stroke interventions deserve similar consideration. The emotional and economic cost of lifelong disability far outweighs the cost of timely treatment.

Vision for Advanced Stroke Prevention and Intervention

The future of stroke care lies in a multidisciplinary approach. One that unites the expertise of cardiology and neurology to safeguard both the heart and the brain. According to Dr. Anurag Mehrotra, Senior Interventional Cardiologist and Chairman, Siddh Multispeciality Hospital, Moradabad, “Stroke is often not an isolated neurological event but a consequence of underlying cardiovascular conditions that remain undetected or poorly managed. Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of death worldwide, claiming nearly 17.9 million lives annually. Among them, stroke is one of the most debilitating but avoidable conditions. The major behavioural risk factors such as unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and air pollution are becoming common in both urban and semi-urban India. These risk factors for an increased burden of heart disease and stroke can be identified early and tackled well with the help of robust primary and preventive care systems.”

On World Stroke Day 2025, India’s mission is clear. To ensure that no life is lost to delay, no patient is left behind due to distance, and no stroke survivor is denied the chance to recover fully.