States » SouthPosted at: Nov 14 2026 6:06PM


Healthcare professionals urged to address financial burden of stroke care at Asian Stroke Summer School 2026

Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 14 (UNI) Director General Medical Services (Navy), Surgeon Vice Admiral Shankar Subramanian, has said that healthcare professionals must look beyond medical technology and address the practical and financial burdens faced by patients and their families.
Inaugurating the Asian Stroke Summer School 2026 here last evening, he recounted his own family’s experience of setting up a home-based ICU for his late father-in-law due to the prohibitive cost of hospital care.
Urging doctors to be more empathetic toward treatment expenses, he advocated for hybrid online consultations, decentralised diagnostic facilities, and affordable home-care models to support low-income families.
The international training programme is jointly organised by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST) and the Stroke Research Centre Bern (SRCB), Switzerland, with support from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Speaking at the event, former Kerala Chief Secretary Shri Jiji Thomson emphasised that prevention remains the most effective tool against stroke, despite rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, robotics, and precision medicine. "The greatest stroke intervention is not equipment costing millions; it is a lifetime decision costing nothing," he said, urging the public to adopt regular brisk walking, manage blood pressure and diabetes, avoid tobacco, and maintain healthy sleep habits.
Dr Urs Fischer, Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital Bern, traced the global expansion of the initiative. Launched in Europe in 2014, the programme has since expanded to Asia and Latin America to strengthen stroke care systems in low- and middle-income countries.
Dr Jan Gralla, Head of Neuroradiology at Inselspital Bern, underscored the need for seamless coordination among neurologists, neurosurgeons, interventional specialists, and hospital staff, alongside training the next generation of medical professionals.
Sharing a personal perspective on timely intervention, American actor Leland Orser recounted how prompt medical care helped his 87-year-old mother recover within 24 hours after a severe stroke had left her unable to speak, giving her another 18 months of quality life.
Earlier, Dr P N Sylaja, Professor and Head of the Comprehensive Stroke Care Programme at SCTIMST, welcomed the gathering. Dr E R Jayadevan, Professor and Head of the Department of Imaging Sciences & Interventional Radiology at SCTIMST, proposed the vote of thanks and felicitated the guests.
UNI DS
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