ICMR Hands Over Mobile Stroke Units To Assam

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday handed over two Mobile Stroke Units (MSU) to the Government of Assam, bringing life-saving stroke care closer to patients in rural, remote and difficult terrain.

The initiative marks a major shift in stroke care delivery, with hospitals now reaching patients instead of patients struggling to reach distant hospitals. The project has significantly reduced treatment time and improved survival and recovery outcomes in Northeast India.

Handing over the units, Secretary, Department of Health Research and Director General, ICMR, Dr Rajiv Bahl said India has become the second country globally to successfully integrate Mobile Stroke Units with emergency medical services for treating rural acute ischemic stroke patients.

“Mobile Stroke Units were first developed in Germany. India has now demonstrated their successful use in rural and difficult terrains, achieving early diagnosis and rapid treatment,” he said.

The Mobile Stroke Unit is a hospital on wheels equipped with a CT scanner, teleconsultation with specialists, point-of-care laboratory and clot-busting drugs, enabling diagnosis and treatment at or near the patient’s home.

Assam Health and Family Welfare Secretary P. Ashok Babu said the handover strengthens the state’s emergency response system and ensures continuity of this life-saving service under state ownership.

ICMR data shows that 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 MSU handled over 2,300 emergency calls, with around 90 per cent of patients treated directly from their homes.

Integrated with the 108 emergency ambulance service, the MSU now covers a radius of up to 100 km, offering timely stroke care in one of the country’s most challenging regions.

Senior officials from the Centre and states were present at the handover ceremony.