Apollo Hospitals Chennai Expands Stroke Care across the City with 9 Advanced Labs to Save Lives and Restore Hope

Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, announced the expansion of its Apollo Advanced Stroke Network - a comprehensive, protocol-driven system designed to ensure rapid diagnosis and treatment for stroke patients across the city. With one in four individuals above 25 years of age now at risk, and stroke cases increasingly being reported among younger populations, this initiative comes at a crucial time to strengthen early detection and time-sensitive intervention in stroke care.

This initiative marks a major leap forward in the fight against stroke - a condition where every minute counts. In stroke management, “Time is Brain”, as nearly 1,90,000 brain cells are lost every minute during an attack. The network ensures that patients across Apollo’s hospitals in Chennai receive uniform, high-quality, and time-sensitive care for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes.

This milestone follows Apollo Hospitals’ Stroke Network launch in 2023, which laid the foundation for coordinated stroke response and public awareness initiatives. The expansion aims to reach a wider population, strengthen early detection, and improve survival and recovery rates.

Globally, nearly 13 million people suffer a stroke each year, and in Chennai alone, around 10,000 cases are reported annually - underscoring the urgent need for awareness, preparedness, and timely medical response.

The Apollo Advanced Stroke Network unites some of Chennai’s leading experts in neurology and neurovascular care, including Dr. Srinivasan Paramasivam, Senior Consultant – Neuro Endovascular Surgery; Dr. Kannah, Dr. Vijay Shankar, Dr. Muthukani, Dr. Arulselvan, and Dr. Satish Kumar, Dr. Sreenivas UM and all Senior Consultants in Neurology. Together, this multidisciplinary team brings extensive experience and expertise in stroke management, ensuring comprehensive and coordinated care for patients across the Apollo Hospitals network in Chennai.

Dr. Srinivasan Paramasivam, Head of Neuro Endovascular Surgery at Apollo Hospitals, Greams Lane, Chennai, said “The Apollo Advanced Stroke Network represents an organized and time-efficient response system to expedite advanced care for stroke patients. Our focus is on offering neuroendovascular treatments such as mechanical thrombectomy for ischemic stroke, and endovascular and microsurgical treatments for hemorrhagic stroke. The goal is simple — to save more lives and improve outcomes through faster, smarter intervention.”

Dr. Satish Kumar, Senior Consultant, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, OMR, added, “The emerging stroke treatments that we see today are time-dependent. We presently have 4.5 hours as the recognized time limit to initiate an intravenous thrombolysis in an indicated patient. Any sudden neurological development should be considered as a warning sign of stroke. Symptoms such as sudden vision loss, facial drooping, sudden weakness or numbness of one sided arm/leg, speech disturbances and  instability are key to understanding the condition. Awareness about stroke, the importance of time in stoke management and stroke prevention methods are abysmally low in our community. "Every minutes counts in stroke". We are pleased to join hands with stroke survivors to help create more awareness around this critical concern.”

Dr. Sreenivas UM, Consultant Neurologist , Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Vanagaram spoke about the importance of AI in Acute Stroke Treatment. He said, “Artificial Intelligence is transforming the way we approach acute stroke care. Time is the most critical factor in stroke management, and AI-powered imaging and decision-support tools are helping us identify strokes faster and initiate treatment with unprecedented precision.”

Dr. Ilankumaran Kaliamoorthy, Chief Executive Officer – Chennai Region, Apollo Hospitals, said, “Apollo Hospitals is delighted to launch the Apollo Advanced Stroke Network to respond to the needs of those with specific neurological conditions. We at Apollo appreciate that every minute counts and our stroke response model is designed on that principle. We also hope that the journeys of the survivors will enlighten and inspire stakeholders elsewhere to collaborate and fashion stroke care models that will greatly benefit their communities.”

With this initiative, Apollo Hospitals Chennai continues to lead in advanced neuroscience and emergency care, offering a continuum of stroke management - from emergency intervention to rehabilitation and community education. The hospital remains deeply committed to public awareness, early prevention, and ensuring that no stroke goes untreated due to delay or lack of access.