Stroke care in Nagaland: Telestroke facility in CHISR launched

November 14, 2024 4 Views No Comment

Chümoukedima, November 14 (MExN): A Telestroke facility was launched at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR) on November 9, indicated a press release received here.

CIHSR is set to link up with AIMS (Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi, Kerala) for the implementation of the Telestroke facility in the region, it said.

“Telestroke” is defined as live, audio-video telecommunication applied to the care of acute stroke, it added. Telemedicine for stroke management is a level 1, class A recommendation when a vascular neurologist is not physically available, the release further noted.

Stroke care in India, including acute stroke thrombolysis and stroke prevention care, lags behind developed countries due to a limited number of stroke centres, poor rural health infrastructure, and poorly organised transport systems, especially in hilly and tribal areas, it said.

Accordingly, the release maintained that telemedicine in stroke care has been proven effective in developed countries, with similar efficiency and complication rates and this has also been demonstrated in the Indian context.

The availability of stroke experts remains a challenge for providing universal quality stroke care. However, telemedicine technology, effectively used during the pandemic, can be utilised for stroke care using Telestroke, delivering thrombolysis and administering stroke prevention care in hard-to-access areas, it added.

There is sufficient evidence to suggest that thrombolysis, when administered through Telestroke consultation, is safe and as effective as when given in a regular stroke centre, the release further stated, adding that specific American Stroke Association statements detail the evidence for its use and implementation.