The Maharashtra health department is set to introduce a "remote robotic neurointervention" programme aimed at providing life-saving stroke treatment to patients in rural areas within the critical "golden hour." The proposal was discussed during a meeting chaired by Maharashtra health minister Prakash Abitkar on Saturday. The plan involves neurosurgeons at KEM Hospital in Mumbai remotely guiding or performing stroke interventions at district and taluka hospitals using robotic systems connected via high-speed 5G networks.
Hub-and-spoke model
Under the proposed hub-and-spoke model, KEM Hospital in Parel will function as the central command hub, while rural hospitals will be equipped with robotic arms and cath lab facilities. Specialists in Mumbai will remotely assist local doctors in carrying out emergency procedures for stroke patients, reducing the need to transfer critically ill patients to metropolitan hospitals.
Addressing shortage of specialists
The initiative comes amid a severe shortage of neurologists and advanced stroke-care facilities in rural Maharashtra. The health department is establishing cath labs at 11 locations across the state, with five centres likely to be selected for the pilot phase of the robotic programme. Officials highlighted that the burden of stroke in India remains high due to widespread diabetes and hypertension. Estimates suggest that barely 3% of stroke patients reach hospitals in time for intervention, leaving many with long-term disability.
Senior neurosurgeon Nitin Dange, who led a pilot robotic stroke intervention project at KEM Hospital in 2020, attended the preliminary meeting.
"The number of stroke patients has been increasing in the last few years. It is very important for such patients to get treatment during the 'golden hour.' If expert doctors and modern facilities are not available in time, the risk of permanent paralysis increases," said Abitkar.
"Instead of shifting patients to big cities, the department is trying to provide modern treatment methods at the nearest government hospital," he added.
