Community stories

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.

Life 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.

Spain’s “bonus Angel” leads an award-winning stroke unit and devotes himself to improving stroke care in the autonomous region of Andalusia. This self-effacing stroke champion is only the second nurse in Europe to be recognised with an ESO Spirit of Excellence Award, an honour that thust him into the spotlight during ESOC 2024 in Basel.

Paramedics don’t only save lives but also contribute to the overall well- being of the community, writes Jan van der Merwe in this year's EMS-themed edition of The Angels Journey, in which we pay tribute to the unsung heroes of healthcare.