Community stories

The award-winning change agent and stroke centre certification advocate Dr Apostolos Safouris believes in stories and their power to grow communities and spread scientific knowledge. He explains how reading about the history of humanity provides context for his work.

The story of Hospital Antonio Cardarelli shows that for stroke improvement to come about through generational change, each generation must have its pioneers.

A team of neurologists from Lithuania’s rival cities are pooling their strengths to help transform stroke care in countries throughout Eastern Europe and Central Asia. Prof Vaidas Matijosaitis, who along with his colleagues received a Spirit of Excellence Award at ESOC 2024, explains what basketball has to do with it.

Angels consultant Deepti Sawhney took a leap into the unknown when she agreed to work in Chhattisgarh. She had never travelled; parts of the state were dangerous, and each hospital presented a separate challenge. She shares her story.

“If your patient is also your neighbour, your uncle, or the local hero, you simply cannot be anything other than the best.” This is the attitude that has put IPSS Medical Rescue on the north coast of KwaZulu-Natal on course for an EMS Angels diamond award.

In Montería in northern Colombia a leader from the ranks of emergency medical services is the catalyst for a stroke care network that joins together hospitals, EMS and the local healthcare authority in a united front against stroke. For the emergency nurse who leads this initiative, power lies in the sense of belonging to something bigger than oneself.