Zydus, Medtronic partner for first AI-based stroke care network in Gujarat

Ahmedabad-based Zydus Hospitals and healthcare firm India Medtronic Private Limited on February 16 announced a partnership to support stroke patients in Gujarat through a hub and spoke network.

Medtronic will collaborate with Zydus Hospitals to build an ecosystem that will help in the timely diagnosis and treatment of stroke patients by facilitating the use of indigenous artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled technology.

“We’ve been consistently partnering with hospitals across India to advance our vision of transforming stroke care for patients in India. Through these collaborations, we can integrate technology to address local healthcare barriers across the care continuum,” Michael Blackwell, vice president, Medtronic India, said.

The partnership will serve the people of peripheral Gujarat by helping them deal with stroke as a disease effectively. The hub and spoke system works on an advanced AI capable of interpreting a CT scan for a stroke.

A team of stroke experts at Zydus hospital (hub) will visualise the CT scan performed at the remote hospital (spoke) and handhold the local physician on further patient management, a statement released by the two sides said.

“This way, the physician at the remote hospital is empowered to decide on the future course of action basis the patient's needs and the patient receives the right treatment at the right time,” the joint statement said.

VN Shah, senior endocrinologist and metabolic physician, Zydus Hospitals, said stroke was a big disabler in developing countries like India.

“Treatment of any disease starts with quick and efficient detection; the launch of peripheral stroke centers will enhance the survivability of our patients,” he added.

Zydus Hospitals is an initiative of the Gujarat-based Zydus Group. The group also operates hospitals in Anand, Vadodara and Sitapur, a joint venture with Maruti Suzuki.