Maharashtra Govt signs MoU with Multinational Pharma Firm to Improve Stroke Care

The Government of Maharashtra health department has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with multinational pharmaceutical manufacturer Boehringer Ingelheim India to use Artificial Intelligence to improve stroke care at government hospitals. When blood supply to a region of the brain is cut off or a blood artery in the brain bursts, a stroke ensues. According to a health ministry research, stroke is a prominent cause of death and disability in India, which ranks second in the world with 7.7 lakh fatalities each year.

As part of the agreement, the pharmaceutical company will provide hands-on training to government hospital employees using AI tools. It will also provide government hospitals with multidisciplinary stroke team capacity building so that they may access resources such as educational material, tools, and consultation help to improve stroke care. A stroke detection and management trial programme will be launched soon in Thane, Aurangabad, Pune, Nanded, and Amravati.

"This collaboration reflects the government's commitment to improving healthcare services in the area of stroke care," stated Dr. Nagnath Mudam, joint director, NCD, Mumbai. Stroke has recently arisen as a major public health hazard, necessitating sustained partnership between the public and commercial sectors to help better individuals' lives." The chosen government hospitals would have at least one 24x7 CT scan facility with at least one technician for Face-Arms-Speech-Time diagnosis.