The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Wednesday handed over two Mobile Stroke Units (MSUs) to the Government of Assam, significantly strengthening emergency medical response in rural, remote and difficult terrain.
Stroke is among the leading causes of death and long-term disability in India, where nearly 1.9 billion brain cells are lost every minute if treatment is delayed. Timely intervention within the golden hour can drastically reduce mortality and lifelong disability, yet reaching a stroke-ready hospital remains a major challenge in remote areas.
Addressing this gap, the MSU initiative marks a shift from patients travelling long distances to hospitals, to hospitals reaching patients at their doorstep. Developed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the guidance of Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda, the programme reflects the government’s commitment to ensuring equitable access to advanced healthcare, especially for vulnerable and marginalised populations.
Handing over the MSUs, Dr Rajiv Bahl, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR, said 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 the second country globally to report successful integration of an MSU with emergency medical services for treating rural acute ischemic stroke patients,” he said.
P. Ashok Babu, Secretary and Commissioner, Health and Family Welfare, Government of Assam, said the handover strengthens the state’s emergency response system and ensures continuity of this life-saving service under state ownership. He noted that collaboration with ICMR has enabled faster treatment, improved coordination and better outcomes for stroke patients, while laying a strong foundation for future expansion.
The Mobile Stroke Unit functions as a hospital on wheels, equipped with a CT scanner, point-of-care laboratory, teleconsultation facilities with specialists and clot-busting drugs. This enables early diagnosis and treatment of stroke at or near the patient’s home, a critical advantage in areas where travel to hospitals can take several hours. Teleconsultation allows rapid identification of stroke type and immediate initiation of treatment, saving lives and preventing disability.
The Northeast has a disproportionately high burden of stroke due to difficult terrain, long distances and limited access to specialised care. To address this, ICMR established a neurologist-led stroke unit at Assam Medical College and Hospital, Dibrugarh, and physician-led stroke units at Tezpur Medical College Hospital and Baptist Christian Hospital, Tezpur. The MSUs were integrated into this pre-hospital stroke care pathway.
The outcomes have been transformative. The model reduced treatment time from nearly 24 hours to about two hours, cut deaths by one-third and reduced disability eightfold. Between 2021 and August 2024, the MSUs received over 2,300 emergency calls. Trained nurses screened 294 suspected stroke cases, with 90 per cent of patients treated directly from their homes. Integration with the 108 emergency ambulance service expanded coverage to a 100-kilometre radius.
Senior officials from the Centre and states, along with ICMR leadership, including Dr Christina Z. Chongthu, Secretary (Health), Government of Telangana; Dr Sanghamitra Pati and Dr Alka Sharma, Additional Directors General, ICMR; Ms Manisha Saxena, Senior DDG (Administration); and Dr R.S. Dhaliwal, Head, NCD, attended the event.
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