‘BRAIN STROKE’ is a medical emergency wherein there is serious disruption of blood supply to the brain. This might be because the blood vessel is blocked (ischemia) or there is a leak from the blood vessel (haemorrhage). In India, every 40 seconds a patient has a stroke and in every 4 minutes a patient dies because of stroke. Stroke is the most common cause of disability in India, which makes a person crippled and disabled for life. If a patient with stoke reaches the hospital in time and the health care centre identifies and treats this patient immediately, the impact of stroke is significantly reduced. In an endeavour to take this vision forward Narayana Health, Eastern cluster, has introduced SPOKE AND HUB STROKE MODEL to ensure best access to stroke treatment across three geographical regions- Kolkata, Howrah and Barasat. This program was launched at the Press Club Kolkata on May 7th 2022. Dr. Kaushik Sundar (Clinical lead for Comprehensive Stroke care, Narayana Health, Eastern Cluster) said “When it comes to Brain Stroke- TIME IS BRAIN. Many a times patients with brain stroke reach nearby hospitals for immediate care. By the time the diagnosis of brain stroke is made or an expert sees this patient, vital time is lost. Narayana Health group of hospitals are unique in this way that all their medical records, investigations and imaging facilities are interconnected. For example, if a patient gets admitted in Barasat unit and undergoes a CT scan, the images will be immediately available to a Stroke team who are sitting out in Kolkata. The stroke team can then decide whether that patient needs to be shifted to a higher centre for advanced therapeutic options. Narayana Health is offering this service to the patients 24×7 with no additional cost. This networking ensures seamless referral, expert consultation and best treatment to the patient throughout the day.” In addition to this robust telestroke and referral system, NH Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences Kolkata also announced the launch of its STROKE CLINICS. Patients who had previously suffered a brain stroke, reach out to multisepciality hospitals for investigations and expert opinion. Stroke Clinic introduces stroke investigation package, including MRI brain at affordable rates. Stroke Clinic ensures specialists consultations- including expert Neurophysician, cardiologist, diabetes specialist, rehabilitation specialist and dietician advise- in a single hospital visit. This model will then be implemented in coming months across all the NH centres in and around Kolkata. Narayana Health, Eastern cluster of hospitals has been performing state of the art, complex neurointerventional procedures over the last few years. They had placed a stent inside the brain for a patient with stroke- the first of its kind in Howrah district. The neurovascular team had performed a complex procedure in a patient with cerebral venous thrombosis, wherein a clot in the brain was sucked out with a catheter. This unique technique was reported and published in a peer reviewed international journal. For a patient with aneurysmal bleed (leaking blood vessel) a new kind of stent called ‘Silk vista Flow diverter’ was used for the first time in Eastern India. “Though these procedures are futuristic and state of the art, the core issue is that many of these patients don’t reach the hospital in good time” said Dr. Arindam Ghosh, Consultant Neurologist at NH Howrah. “Stroke treatment has best impact if patient reaches the hospital immediately and the health care workers in the hospital address the needs of this patient immediately.” STROKE HERO PROGRAM, an initiative of NH Group of hospitals, honoured health care workers and relatives of stroke patients who brought them to the hospital quickly and ensured that best treatment was available to them immediately. Doctors Present in the press meet R. Venkatesh (COO East and South Narayana Health) said, “Patients in our hospital have been witness to our active efforts to provide them the best of care and treatment. With these hi-tech additions we reinforce our commitment to bringing the most advanced technology to treat their medical issues”. About Narayana Health Narayana Health is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, and operates a network of hospitals across the country, with a particularly strong presence in the southern state of Karnataka and eastern India, as well as an emerging presence in northern, western and central India. Our first facility was established in Bengaluru with approximately 225 operational beds and we have since grown to 21 Hospitals + 1 Cayman Islands and 6 heart centres, 19 primary care facilities across India and an international hospital in the Cayman Islands. The group now features over 5,859 operational beds through a combination of greenfield projects and acquisitions. We believe that the “Narayana Health” brand is strongly associated with our mission to deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare services to the broader population by leveraging our economies of scale, skilled doctors, and an efficient business model. In aggregate, our centres provide advanced levels of care in more than 40 specialties, including Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, Cancer Care, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Orthopaedics, Nephrology and Urology, and Gastroenterology Doctors Present in the press Conference Dr. Kaushik Sundar-Neurology -RN Tagore, Mukundapur Dr. Utpal Brahma- Emergency- RN Tagore, Mukundapur Dr. Apurba Panja-Emergency -Narayana Multispeciality, Barasat Dr. Apurba Panja- Emergency -Narayana Multispeciality, Barasat Dr. Ananya Das- Neurology- Narayana Multispeciality, Barasat Dr. Madhuparna Paul-Neurology -Narayana Multispeciality, Barasat Dr. Niloy Biswas-Neurosurgery-Narayana Superspeciality, Howrah Dr. Ramyajit Lahiri-Emergency-Narayana Superspeciality, Howrah Dr. Arindam Ghosh-Neurology-Narayana Superspeciality, Howrah Dr. Arindam Das-Neurology-Narayana Superspeciality, Howrah Dr. Sudip Banerjee-Emergency- Narayana Superspeciality, Howrah
