Gleneagles Global Hospitals has taken a major step forward in stroke care by implementing an AI-enabled hub-and-spoke model that connects peripheral healthcare facilities directly to its advanced stroke centre in Hyderabad. The programme, rolled out on January 25, 2026, addresses one of the biggest challenges in stroke management in India: the critical “golden hour” often lost due to delayed recognition, transport delays, and lack of specialist access at smaller hospitals.

The hub-and-spoke framework designates Gleneagles Hyderabad as the central hub equipped with 24/7 neurointerventional services, advanced neuroimaging (CT perfusion, MRI), and thrombectomy capabilities. Spoke hospitals and clinics ranging from district hospitals to smaller private facilities are connected via a secure digital platform that uses AI to analyse non-contrast CT and CT angiography images in real time. The AI flags large vessel occlusions, quantifies ASPECTS scores, and automatically alerts the hub stroke team with a complete case summary, enabling rapid decision-making on whether the patient requires transfer for mechanical thrombectomy or IV thrombolysis.

At spoke sites, emergency physicians or general practitioners upload scans via a mobile app or web portal. The AI provides an instant preliminary report highlighting key findings, while the hub neurologist or interventionalist reviews and confirms via telemedicine. This closed-loop system has already reduced door-to-groin puncture times by 35–45% for transferred patients in the pilot phase, with higher rates of successful recanalisation and better functional outcomes at 90 days.

The technology stack includes FDA/CE-cleared AI modules for stroke imaging triage, integrated with Gleneagles’ existing telemedicine and teleradiology infrastructure. All data handling complies with ABDM standards, ensuring secure, consent-based sharing and linkage to patients’ Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts for long-term continuity.

Dr. Sandeep Attawar, Director of Neurosciences at Gleneagles Global Hospitals, said: “Stroke is a time-critical emergency where every minute counts. Our AI hub-and-spoke model removes geographic barriers, enabling even remote hospitals to deliver world-class stroke care by connecting them instantly to specialist expertise. This saves lives and reduces disability in communities that previously had limited access.”

The pilot currently covers several spoke hospitals in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, with plans to expand to 50+ facilities across South India within the next 12–18 months. Gleneagles is also training spoke-site teams on stroke protocols and AI-assisted workflows to ensure smooth adoption.

The initiative aligns with national priorities under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases and the push for time-bound stroke care pathways. By decentralising access while centralising expertise, the model offers a scalable blueprint for improving stroke outcomes across India’s diverse healthcare landscape.