Community stories

For Castilla-La Mancha, steeped in history and fiction, the goal of becoming an Angels Region could seem larger than life – until you find out there’s a plan.

From the shores of the Brahmaputra River in India to a small Malaysian town that can only be reached by boat, you will find people whose goal is to give stroke patients a second chance at life, writes Jan van der Merwe in this year's WSC edition of The Angels Journey.

Ecuador is bursting with pride over its first EMS Angels Award for excellence in prehospital stroke care. Dr Verónica Pacheco maps out their journey to international recognition.

Live Westville Hospital manager Ishan Sewpersad is dedicated to enhancing stroke patient outcomes. His background in finance enabled him to meticulously analyse the data and develop a strategic plan for improving outcomes for stroke patients.

Dr Martin Šrámek heads up one of the Czech Republic’s leading stroke centres and plays a key role in the development of RES-Q. Responding to questions at ESOC he talks about his interest in Eastern medicine, the importance of a unified stroke community and why he chose the brain.

For their mission to transform Salalah into Oman’s first Angels Region, the Angels team in the Gulf may count on the support of a formidable ally – the country’s first woman neurologist and a doctor who won’t say no to a challenge.