Govt plans stroke registry, expand care network

Thiruvananthapuram: State govt is considering establishing a state stroke registry as part of efforts to strengthen stroke prevention, treatment and rehabilitation services, said health minister K Muraleedharan in the assembly on Wednesday.

The proposed registry will maintain data on stroke admissions, treatment outcomes, thrombolysis rates, rehabilitation services and patient survival rates, providing policymakers with a scientific basis for planning and improving stroke care. The minister said govt was examining the formation of a state stroke task force to monitor hospital performance and reduce treatment delays, with the goal of achieving a door-to-needle time of less than 60 minutes for patients.

As part of Kerala’s non-communicable disease control programme, health department initiated measures to establish stroke units in 12 districts. Training is being provided to doctors, nurses and field-level health workers in collaboration with Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology.

Stroke units and thrombolysis treatment facilities have been set up in several district and general hospitals. Dedicated stroke clinics are currently operating in hospitals at Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thodupuzha, Palakkad, Kozhikode and Kanhangad. According to official figures, these centres have successfully performed more than 500 thrombolysis procedures.

Govt is considering strengthening a hub-and-spoke model that would link medical colleges with district and general hospitals, enabling specialist stroke care to be delivered more effectively across Kerala.

Muraleedharan said health department proposed a comprehensive programme titled “Stroke Friendly Kerala” to create a coordinated statewide stroke care network. The initiative aims to improve emergency treatment, rehabilitation services, public awareness and long-term patient outcomes.

Emphasising the importance of post-stroke rehabilitation, Muraleedharan said efforts were under way to expand physiotherapy, speech therapy, occupational therapy and psychological support services for survivors. Stroke rehabilitation units have been established in district hospitals alongside physical medicine departments. Also, physiotherapists have been deployed in 228 community health centres under national health mission, providing services through both outpatient clinics and home visits.

Govt is exploring introduction of advanced rehabilitation technologies, including robotic rehabilitation systems, at medical colleges to further improve recovery outcomes for stroke patients, he added.