Indian Medical Parliamentarians Forum seeks urgent action to address 'stroke' burden

The Indian Medical Parliamentarians Forum (IMPF), a cross-party platform of medical professionals in Parliament, has called for comprehensive and urgent action to address the growing burden of stroke, which accounts for nearly 7% of all deaths in the country and remains one of the leading causes of disability in India.

Stating that one stroke-related death happens in India every four minutes, IMPF said despite the increasing availability of advanced treatments, much of India’s population—especially in rural and semi-urban areas—lacks access to timely diagnosis and effective interventions such as thrombolysis or thrombectomy.

The Forum wanted stroke to be prioritised under schemes like Ayushman Bharat, with accessible treatment packages. It called for dedicated budgetary allocations at both state and national levels for stroke prevention, care, and rehabilitation. Adoption of hub-and-spoke models to ensure resource-efficient care delivery was also proposed.

In a joint statement, IMPF Chairperson Dr. Anil Bonde and fellow MPs Dr. Dharamvira Gandhi, Dr. V. Kalanidhi, Dr. Jashvantsinh Parmar, Dr. Byreddy Shabari, and Dr. Kavya Kadiyam described stroke as a “silent epidemic” that demands national-level priority in public health policy, infrastructure development, and healthcare innovation.

“Stroke is not just a health emergency; it is a national crisis,” said Dr. Bonde. “It affects every part of society, from working-age individuals to the elderly, causing both emotional distress and economic loss. We must act now to ensure that every Indian has access to timely, affordable, and quality stroke care.”

IMPF wanted the government to strengthen the preventive measures and launch nationwide awareness campaigns on risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. The forum also called for promotion of community-based programs that encourage healthy diets and physical activity and equip primary healthcare centres with resources for early screening and preventive counselling.

Pointing out that current stroke care facilities are concentrated in urban centres, IMPF recommended the establishment of stroke-ready hospitals and dedicated stroke units at the district level. The forum called for public-private partnerships and telemedicine to expand reach and include advanced stroke interventions in the public health infrastructure, with particular attention to underserved regions.

To address the shortage of trained professionals, the forum called for standardised stroke management training programs for healthcare providers, scholarships and incentives to encourage specialisation in neurology and interventional radiology, and collaboration with institutions like the World Stroke Organisation for professional education modules.

Founded in 2006 and currently comprising 45 MPs from both Houses of Parliament, IMPF functions as a bridge between the medical fraternity and legislative policymaking.