Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata Accredited as an Advanced Stroke Centre by QAI

The Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata (INK) today announced that it has been accredited as an Advanced Stroke Centre by the Quality and Accreditation Institute (QAI), one of the ISQua approved international bodies for stroke-care accreditation. The announcement was made at a press conference at I-NK on World Stroke Day, which the Institute celebrated with eminent neurosurgeon of the millennium Prof. R P Sengupta OBE as Chief Patron.
Advanced Stroke Centre accreditation recognises hospitals that provide comprehensive, round-the-clock stroke care. To qualify, a centre must offer a 24×7 stroke team and neurologist, a neuro-interventionist, a 24×7 cath lab for mechanical thrombectomy, advanced CT and MR imaging including perfusion studies, and a dedicated neuro-intensive care unit. Every patient’s journey is measured against strict national time targets, from arrival to brain scan, clot-dissolving treatment and thrombectomy.
“Stroke is a race against time. With every minute of an untreated stroke, the brain loses millions of nerve cells,” said Dr. Apratim Chatterjee, Director of Stroke, Institute of Neurosciences Kolkata. “This accreditation is an independent assurance to every family in our city that when stroke strikes, INK is ready day and night, with the right team and the right treatment.”
A book written from the bedside
The most moving moment of the day was the launch of Dr. Chatterjee’s book, Every Minute Matters: Stories of Stroke, Survival and Hope. Born from years at the bedsides of stroke patients, it tells the stories behind the scans and the statistics — of families who noticed the first signs and refused to wait, of patients who fought to walk and speak again, and of long nights in hospital corridors when hope was all a family had. It is a book about fear and courage, about the minutes that change a life, and about the hope that endures long after the emergency is over.
“Every patient I have treated has taught me something about courage,” said Dr. Chatterjee. “This book is my way of giving their stories back to the world — so that one more family recognises a stroke in time, and one more survivor knows that life after stroke can still be full of hope.”
Highlights of the day
• QAI accreditation: INK recognized as an Advanced Stroke Centre for comprehensive 24×7 stroke care.
• Book launch: Dr. Chatterjee released “Every Minute Matters: Stories of Stroke, Survival and Hope”, available on Amazon and Kindle, with Hindi and Bengali editions planned.
• World Stroke Day: the day was celebrated with Prof. R P Sengupta OBE as Chief Patron, along with eminent personalities including respected doctors, actors, famous social influencers along with patients and their family members.
• Public awareness: the BE FAST warning signs — Balance, Eyes, Face, Arm, Speech, Time — were highlighted for every household.
Stroke is among the leading causes of death and disability in India. INK urged the public to treat any sudden loss of balance or vision, facial drooping, limb weakness or slurred speech as an emergency, and to go immediately to a stroke-ready hospital rather than waiting for symptoms to settle.