Ms. Puniya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, emphasized the urgent need for stroke prevention as India grapples with a dual burden of communicable and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Speaking at the National Stroke Summit, organized by FICCI in collaboration with the Indian Medical Parliamentarians Forum (IMPF) and the World Stroke Organization (WSO), she noted that NCDs now account for 74% of global mortality and 66% of deaths in India, with stroke being a major contributor.
“Stroke prevention remains critical,” Ms. Srivastava stated, adding that the government is enhancing stroke care through a hub-and-spoke model, aiming to expand the current 500 operational stroke care units nationwide by the next fiscal year.
Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh highlighted stroke as the fourth leading cause of death and fifth leading cause of disability in India. “Punjab records 40,000 stroke cases annually. Our newly adopted Stroke Care Pathway ensures no patient is left untreated, integrating district hospitals and medical colleges,” he said.
Dr. Anil Sukhdevrao Bonde, Chairperson of IMPF, reiterated the government’s commitment to achieving “Health for All by 2047,” while advocating for increased healthcare investment to realize this vision.
Dr. Jeyaraj Pandian, President of WSO and Dean of CMC Ludhiana, outlined the National Stroke Action Plan, which includes creating stroke units in district hospitals, equipping 50% of private and government medical colleges, physician training, and expanding rehabilitation facilities. “Time-sensitive treatments like thrombectomy and stroke units are key to reducing mortality and disability,” he explained.
Industry voices also resonated during the summit. Mr. Mandeep Singh Kumar, Vice President of Medtronic India, stressed the need for unified efforts, highlighting the PRAAN stroke registry’s role in advancing clinical evidence and scalable care models.
Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Chair of FICCI Health Services Committee, emphasized innovation and collaboration in tackling the stroke crisis. “The National Stroke Summit 2025 is a crucial step in reducing stroke’s impact and building an accessible healthcare system,” he stated.
As per the press release, the summit unveiled the Stroke Action Plan and findings from PRAAN, India’s first multicentric prospective registry on Mechanical Thrombectomy, while fostering dialogue among healthcare leaders, policymakers, and industry stakeholders to combat one of the country’s most pressing health challenges.