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Home care for stroke patients ineffective, reveals new study

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9 years ago

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Home care

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Dinesh C Sharma

New Delhi, June 28 (India Science Wire): For years, doctors in Indian hospitals have been recommending home-based care for rehabilitation of stroke patients. But a new study – largest of its kind – has revealed that this does not work.

Stroke patients require continuous care including physiotherapy to recover and minimize life-long disability. In the absence of adequate professional and affordable rehabilitation facilities, doctors often recommend care at home by family members supplemented by physiotherapist visits. Hospital-based care is also offered in various centres but is costly.

In order to study if home-based care results in desired outcomes, a study was done at 14 public, private and district hospitals across the country. A total of 1250 stroke patients were followed up over six months. The study participants were divided in two groups – one received standard package of care given by respective hospital while the other group was given home-based care which included training to family members and weekly visits by physiotherapists for two months. The results revealed that there was no reduction in disability for patients who got care at home, compared to those who received the standard package.

The findings, published in medical journal The Lancet on Tuesday, have surprised medical community because earlier studies carried out in developed countries had indicated that community-based rehabilitation played significant role in recovery of stroke patients. The World Health Organisation (WHO) too recommends such an approach.

“We found that despite extensive training in hospital and during follow up visits in the home, there was no difference in the degree of recovery or quality of life of people who received this extra treatment,” explained Professor Richard Lindley of the George Institute for Global Health and the University of Sydney, who led the study.

The study, supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NMHRC) of Australia, was coordinated by Christian Medical College, Ludhiana. Patients in the intervention group had access to physiotherapists who taught the family techniques such as mobility training and communication practice.

“Professional help like training and visits by physiotherapists was provided for first two months only because the intervention needed to be cost effective and sustainable. If family members required more training, then the aspiration of routinely providing rehabilitation through family caregivers might not be feasible,” pointed out Jeyaraj Pandian, neurologist from Christian Medical College, Ludhiana who led the trial. “Our training programme might not have been sufficient (in time and content) to deliver effective family rehabilitation, as we observed only about 30 minutes of daily activities in the intervention group. Conventional western rehabilitation is usually associated with greater daily therapy time.” Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) might have been a more effective strategy, but probably more expensive.

Dr Vijaya Nath Mishra, a neurologist at the Sir Sunderlal Hospital at BHU, Varanasi, said the results of the study are surprising. “We will have to carefully examine the evidence because we have so far believed and also observed that caregivers and family members have a major role in outcome of stroke.” Dr Mishra was not associated with the study.

It is estimated that around 1.6 million people have a stroke in India each year, yet the vast majority receive no formal rehabilitation. The whole country has just 35 stroke units, and most are in the cities, despite stroke being the third commonest cause of death in the adult population.

Professor G V S Murthy of the Indian Institute of Public Health, the Co-Chair of the study, commented, “Task shifting is increasingly seen as a solution to targeting chronic diseases in many countries in the world. But our results show it may be ineffective for some conditions and waste already limited resources. We need more rigorous examinations of such family and community led programs before they become commonplace.”

The participating hospitals included Christian Medical College, Ludhiana; Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata; All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi; Baptist Christian Hospital, Tezpur; Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore;  GNRC Hospitals, Dispur; Lalitha Super Specialty Hospital, Guntur; Nizam Institute for Medical Sciences, Hyderabad; Postgraduate Institute for Medical Sciences and Research, Chandigarh; Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology; Global Hospitals, Chennai; BGS Global Hospitals, Bangalore; Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi and St Stephen’s Hospital, New Delhi. (India Science Wire) [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

57 mins ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

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1 day ago

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August 15, 2026

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IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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India News

Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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