New Delhi: Philips announced that it has entered into a non-exclusive memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Apollo Hospitals Group to explore initiatives aimed at strengthening stroke care and structural heart disease management in India.
Under the MoU, the two parties will explore technology-enabled care pathways informed by real-world clinical practice, with a focus on improving integrated decision-making across diagnosis and intervention, particularly in complex and time-sensitive cases.
The collaboration comes amid a rising burden of cardiovascular and neurological diseases in the country. India recorded over 1.25 million new stroke cases in 2021, nearly double the number reported in 1990, according to The Lancet Neurology. Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death in India, accounting for nearly one-third of all deaths, as per data from the Registrar General of India.
Philips said the partnership will combine its advanced imaging and image-guided therapy capabilities with Apollo’s clinical expertise to support earlier intervention, greater precision and improved patient outcomes at scale.
“Healthcare systems in India are at a pivotal moment, with rising incidence of complex cardiovascular and neurological conditions placing increasing demands on clinicians,” Roy Jakobs, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Philips, said, adding that the collaboration aims to help shape resilient, data-driven care pathways.
Commenting on the development, Prathap C. Reddy, Founder and Chairman of Apollo Hospitals Group, said integration of advanced technology with clinical expertise is essential to deliver scalable, high-quality care as India’s healthcare needs grow more complex. He said the partnership would further strengthen stroke and structural heart disease pathways through precision imaging and faster, more informed interventions.
The MoU was signed by Jakobs and Shobana Kamineni, Executive Vice Chairperson, Apollo Health Co Ltd, in the presence of Dr Reddy.
According to the companies, the MoU focuses on two key clinical areas—structural heart disease and stroke care. In structural heart disease, the collaboration aims to improve procedural accuracy, optimise contrast usage and enhance real-time imaging guidance. For stroke care, the initiative seeks to accelerate imaging workflows and streamline patient pathways to enable intervention within the ‘golden hour’, reduce door-to-needle time and improve clinical efficiency.
