Indian Stroke Association’s 12th annual conf set to record robust participation from global medical fraternity

New Delhi: In collaboration with World Stroke Organisation, Indian Stroke Association has organized the 12th Indian National Stroke Conference. Held at New Delhi, the three-day conference (16, 17 and 18 March on: Stroke Management – Current Concepts) was the largest gathering of national and global neurologists in India, where more than 400 delegates are participating from across the globe.

The Conference focused on a host of stroke-related issues and providing stroke management measures pertaining to recent advances in reperfusion therapy, acute stroke management and rehabilitation, and advances in preventive strategies. The Conference is also an opportunity for doctors to present papers on unique cases and their latest research.

The Organising Chairman of the Conference, Dr Vinit Suri, is a leading Neurologist practicing as Senior Consultant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals. Highlighting the stroke burden in India, he mentioned how stroke treatment has been radically transformed during the past decade due to innovative procedures.

“The biggest breakthrough in stroke has been the usage of thrombolytics or ‘clot buster’ drugs, which break the clot within the vessel. If the stroke is recognized quickly, the use of thrombolytics helps in reducing the damage. Stents are also essential for treating stroke as they extract the clot from the blood vessel,” Dr Vinit Suri stated.

On the second day, a workshop was organized on Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography in stroke, where experts will be elaborating on its various techniques and their utilisations in different cases. The third day of the Conference had a panel of experts from across the country reflecting upon the ‘Optimal systems of stroke care’, focussing primarily on the India-specific scenario.

Stressing the Conference’s importance, Dr Suri affirmed, “Incidents of stroke have been increasing in India at an alarming rate. Therefore, knowledge-sharing platforms such as the annual Indian National Stroke Conference assume added significance. For instance, while stroke treatments are available, these are extremely limited. Through such conferences, the medical fraternity receives the opportunity to reflect on how stroke management tools need proper utilisation.

Earlier, this scenario resonated in high per capita income countries such as the US and the UK, where only a few patients had access to the latest technology. But proper systems for stroke care in the US and Europe have made a dramatic difference in the availability of these tools for patients at large. In India, access to these tools is still extremely limited and available in metropolitan locales only.”