Brain Health Initiative to be expanded across state

Bengaluru: Encouraged by the success of Brain Health Initiative, a unique programme launched in three districts — Bengaluru Urban, Chikkaballapur, and Kolar — in collaboration with Nimhans on a pilot basis, the government is planning to extend it to the entire state in a hub-and-spoke model at a cost of Rs 25 crore.

The four-tier model will help decentralise stroke and trauma care and look to provide timely and effective treatment for patients across Karnataka.

With the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences as the central command centre, the hub-and-spoke structure will comprise six regional neuro-trauma and stroke-ready centres and 24 step-down centres spread across the state. Nimhans sources said: “The concept is to develop a network of government hospitals associated with medical colleges that can cater to different aspects of acute stroke care and head injury, all linked and mentored online to a Nimhans acute stroke and trauma care command centre. This would cater to all types of stroke and head injuries and provide 24x7 support for referrals and transfers. It would also manage complicated cases and mentor hospitals in managing patients in peripheral hospitals.”

The Nimhans command centre will offer telemedicine-based support and training for regional stroke and trauma-care centres and build capacity, in addition to providing tertiary level of care for stroke and head trauma. The superhub will also provide manpower, including trained neurologists, radiologists, neurosurgeons, anaesthetists, stroke nurses and physicians, and help sustain the peripheral centres.

The six regional centres at government medical college hospitals will be the first point of care. “The step-down centres in each district will provide inpatient care and support after acute care has been provided at the regional centres and Nimhans,” sources said.

The concept of hub and spoke is widely used in western countries for acute stroke. The model, which mimics a bicycle wheel with the spokes centred towards the hub, connects several hospitals to the hub (in this case, Nimhans).