Newspatrolling.com News cum Content Syndication Portal Online
New Delhi, July 6, 2025
On the occasion of PMR Day, leading neurologists and rehabilitation experts in Delhi are urging urgent integration of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) into India’s stroke care protocols. With stroke now the second leading cause of death and third leading cause of disability in the country, doctors stress that rehabilitation within the first 90 days is essential—not just for survival, but for full functional recovery.
“Stroke is a race against time—not just during the attack, but long after hospital discharge,” said Dr. (Prof.) Man Mohan Mehndiratta, Principal-Director and Senior Consultant, Neurology, BLK-Max Centre for Neurosciences. “While emergency response has improved through ACT FAST awareness, post-stroke recovery remains poorly structured. Without targeted rehabilitation, patients may survive—but lose their independence, speech, or memory.”
Stroke is increasingly affecting younger people in urban centres like Delhi, fueled by rising rates of hypertension, chronic stress, and sedentary lifestyles. According to the India Hypertension Control Initiative (ICMR-WHO, 2023), one in four Indian adults is hypertensive, yet only 12% have it under control.
Experts are now calling for broader adoption of PMR, a multidisciplinary medical specialty that supports recovery after stroke, spinal cord injuries, and head trauma. PMR combines robotic-assisted therapy, speech and occupational therapy, cognitive retraining, and psychological support, all under a structured, evidence-based roadmap led by rehabilitation physicians.
“Rehabilitation is not just exercise—it’s a guided, clinical process,” said Dr. Amit Tomar, Lead Consultant – PMR, HCAH. “The brain’s plasticity is highest in the first three months post-stroke. Every day of delay narrows the window for recovery.”
HCAH (HealthCare atHOME) has built India’s most advanced post-acute neuro-rehabilitation network, with seven specialised PMR centres across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Kolkata. These centres offer India’s fastest recovery outcomes, combining specialist-led care with cutting-edge technology.
“These numbers reinforce the importance of timely, specialist-led rehab,” said Dr. Gaurav Thukral, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer, HCAH. “We’ve built a national network of PMR-led neuro-rehab centres that combine clinical expertise with robotic gait therapy, gamified recovery tools, and daily milestone tracking. HCAH is among the only organisations in India delivering recovery this fast, this consistently.”
In a recent HCAH survey, only 40% of respondents could identify stroke symptoms before hospitalisation. Yet among patients who received structured inpatient rehabilitation, 92% regained core functional abilities within three months. In contrast, 70% of those on unstructured home care took over four months to regain basic functions like speech and mobility.
Patient stories underscore these outcomes. A 69-year-old woman in Delhi, left minimally conscious after a major stroke, recovered mobility and speech after three months of structured PMR care. A 19-year-old student with locked-in syndrome regained facial movement and communication through HCAH’s neuro-rehabilitation program.
As stroke cases rise, experts are calling on national and state health authorities to take bold action:
- Embed PMR into every stroke treatment protocol
- Expand insurance coverage for inpatient rehab
- Train more PMR specialists and rehab teams
- Establish dedicated neuro-rehabilitation centres in both public and private healthcare systems
“Rehabilitation is not optional—it’s essential,” said Dr. Mehndiratta. “Survival should not be the end goal. Recovery with dignity must become the new standard.”
