Meeting the challenges of stroke in India

I agree with Mehndiratta et al., who outlined concerns about stroke in India.1 India needs to invest more in stroke research and to develop adequate stroke infrastructure for its 1.2 billion citizens. Progress is being made by the Indian Stroke Association (ISA) and the recent launch of the Indian Stroke Registry. However, the authors missed the importance of emergency medical services (EMS). The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association guidelines for the management of adults with ischemic stroke include the role of EMS in the stroke chain of survival.2 Early stroke detection, EMS dispatch, and patient delivery to a designated center are critical in stroke management. Currently, India lacks an organized EMS …