Renowned interventional neurologist Dr. Vikram Huded has been elected President of the Indian Stroke Association (ISA), immediately unveiling his signature “Save the Brain” initiative to transform India’s fragmented stroke care ecosystem.
Dr. Huded, Director of Interventional Neurology at Narayana Health and a pioneer in neuro-interventions, assumes leadership of ISA’s 1,400+ stroke neurologists at a critical juncture. ICMR data reveal India treats just 5% of stroke patients with thrombolysis and under 1% with thrombectomy rates dwarfed by Singapore’s 30%.
“Time is Brain” becomes battle cry
“It is a great honour to serve as ISA President,” Dr. Huded declared. “Stroke remains India’s leading cause of death and disability. Science exists, our job is delivery. ‘Save the Brain’ means Stroke is preventable. Stroke is treatable.”
The campaign targets three gaps:
- Public awareness: FAST recognition (Face, Arms, Speech, Time)
- Physician training: 100 CME programs marking cerebral angiography’s 1927 centenary
- System coordination: Hospital networks for timely thrombectomy access
ISA Secretary Dr. Arvind Sharma added: “Building on 2024’s ‘Mission Brain Attack’ and 2025’s ‘Time to Act Now,’ this year’s ‘Save the Brain’ theme partners with Rotary, IMA, and Association of Physicians of India through national programs and press meets.”
The presidency coincides with India eyeing developed nation status by 2047. Dr. Huded emphasized multidisciplinary collaboration between neurologists, neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists as essential for scaling advanced care, where 15 million Indians suffer strokes annually.
“This requires collective strength,” Dr. Huded concluded. “Together, we build stroke systems that deliver.”
ISA calls for hospital readiness, physician upskilling, and public vigilance to close India’s treatment gap before it claims another 2 million lives yearly.
