CHANDIGARH, October 11:
In a significant leap forward for public healthcare as per the commitment of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab’s AI-Driven Stroke Project has solidified its success, establishing Punjab as India’s undisputed leader in deploying artificial intelligence for life-saving medical care. This groundbreaking hub-and-spoke model, a visionary collaboration between the Government of Punjab, CMC Ludhiana, Qure.ai, and Medtronic, is delivering proven, life-altering results and setting a new national benchmark for emergency treatment.
Hailing the project’s achievements, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh revealed that within few months of its operation, the innovative network has screened over 700 suspected stroke patients. Crucially, the system has enabled six patients suffering from severe strokes to undergo a complex, life-saving brain clot removal procedure known as Mechanical Thrombectomy, completely free of cost, he said.
“Through this project, we are not just saving lives but also preventing devastating disabilities. The Punjab Government is providing the Mechanical Thrombectomy procedure, which can cost between ₹5 to ₹6 lakh in private hospitals, entirely free of cost to patients. This ensures that financial constraints do not stand in the way of a patient’s recovery and a second chance at life,” said the Health Minister.
Pertinently, under the project, suspected stroke patients arriving at the spoke centres—district hospitals in Hoshiarpur, Ludhiana, Sangrur, and Government Medical College Patiala—immediately undergo a CT scan. This scan is then analysed in minutes by sophisticated AI technology from Qure.ai, with the results instantly shared with a team of specialist neurologists at the central hub, Christian Medical College (CMC) Ludhiana.
These experts, led by Dr Jeyaraj Pandian, Dr Ivy Sebastian, and Dr Rajeshwar Sahonta, provide real-time, long-distance guidance to the doctors at the spoke centres. For patients identified as requiring advanced intervention, a swift and coordinated transfer to CMC Ludhiana is initiated for life-saving procedures.
Dr Balbir Singh emphasised that the project’s initial results are profoundly encouraging. “This is a transformative model that delivers swift, expert care directly to citizens in their moment of greatest need. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government is fully committed to expanding this proven initiative across Punjab to ensure equitable access to world-class stroke care for all,” he added.
*BOX: What is a Mechanical Thrombectomy?*
Mechanical Thrombectomy is a minimally invasive, life-saving procedure to remove a blood clot from a brain artery during a severe ischemic stroke. It is a highly complex procedure that must be performed within a critical time window to restore blood flow to the brain, significantly reducing the risk of death and long-term disability.
