Delays Before Patients Reach Stroke Centers Still Hinder Timely Treatment Across Southeast Asia, Siemens Healthineers Report Finds

New research commissioned by Siemens Healthineers shows transportation delays, slow reporting processes as leading barriers to timely stroke diagnosis.

• Stronger referral networks, public awareness, AI-enabled diagnostics, coordinated care are key to strengthening stroke system readiness across the region
• Experts identified the pre-hospital stage and inter-facility transfers as where the most significant delays occur
• Workforce shortages and reimbursement gaps continue to limit equitable access to stroke care across the region

SINGAPORE, Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Delays occurring before patients reach stroke centers remain a major barrier to timely treatment across Southeast Asia, according to a new report, Strengthening Stroke System Readiness Across ASEAN, unveiled today by Siemens Healthineers at Hospital Management Asia (HMA) 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The report draws on insights from seven leading experts across Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. Experts identified some of the most significant delays at the pre-hospital stage–where low public awareness slows response to symptoms–and during inter-facility transfers, where fragmented referral pathways can prevent patients from reaching the right level of care quickly enough.

Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability across the region: The World Health Organization's South-East Asia Region accounts for over 40% of global stroke mortality,^[1] and stroke is the single most common cause of death in several regional countries, including Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. The region also carries nearly half of the developing world's total stroke burden, with severe long-term disability affecting roughly one-third of all stroke survivors^[2].

"Every healthcare system across Southeast Asia is at a different stage of its stroke care journey, yet many of the challenges are shared," said Fabrice Leguet, Managing Director ASEAN and Head of Enterprise Services Asia Pacific & Japan, at Siemens Healthineers. "Improving outcomes is not solely about expanding infrastructure and technology. It also depends on how effectively the entire stroke system works together, from recognizing symptoms and activating emergency medical services to rapid diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation."

Delays across the stroke pathway remain the greatest challenge

Across ASEAN, the experts agreed that stroke care has advanced considerably over the past decade, with many countries expanding stroke units, specialist services and national pathways. Yet patients continue to lose valuable time before receiving treatment, with delays often occurring across the patient's journey before they reach the right facility, receive diagnosis and see the right specialist.

Findings identified transportation delays and slow reporting processes as the leading barriers to timely diagnosis. Limited government funding and weak inter-hospital coordination were also identified as major constraints, as well as reimbursement gaps that continue to limit equitable access to stroke care across the region. Shortages of trained professionals–specifically neurointerventional nurses and neurovascular surgeons–also remain a persistent barrier. While triage protocols are generally established, their implementation remains inconsistent across healthcare systems.

Low public awareness of stroke symptoms compounds these system-level gaps: Many patients do not activate emergency medical services quickly enough, losing critical time in the earliest stages of stroke, when rapid diagnosis and treatment can most influence outcomes.

Different systems offer shared lessons

While no single model can be applied across every country, the report highlights approaches already showing what's possible to address the challenges.

Singapore demonstrates the value of long-term national stroke planning, coordinated emergency medical services and streamlined care pathways. Indonesia's hub-and-spoke model shows how specialist stroke care can be organized across geographically dispersed population, while Vietnam's Stroke International Services (SIS) model illustrates how public-private collaboration can strengthen comprehensive stroke care in underserved regions. Thailand's Mobile Stroke Unit brings specialist stroke assessment directly to patients before they reach hospital, supporting earlier diagnosis and more appropriate triage during the most time-critical stage of stroke care, while Malaysia's multidisciplinary stroke teams further reinforce the importance of coordinated care and continuous workforce development.

AI can support faster, more coordinated stroke care

Artificial intelligence emerged as an important enabler of more connected stroke care. Experts highlighted its potential to support earlier detection of large vessel occlusions, prioritize urgent cases, optimize clinical workflows and extend specialist expertise through tele-stroke networks, particularly in healthcare systems facing workforce shortages or serving geographically dispersed populations. The experts stressed, however, that technology is most effective when integrated into well-designed clinical pathways and supported by trained professionals, robust referral networks and standardized care protocols.

Five priorities for strengthening stroke readiness

Beyond expanding infrastructure, experts agreed that the next phase of stroke care depends on strengthening the systems, workforce and technology that connect patients to timely treatment, and called for sustained collaboration across governments, healthcare providers and industry to deliver it.

The report identifies five priorities for the region:

1. Strengthening referral pathways and inter-hospital coordination
2. Reducing door-to-treatment times through more streamlined emergency workflows
3. Investing in specialist workforce capabilities
4. Accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence and tele-stroke technologies
5. Improving public recognition of the FAST (face, arms, speech, time) warning signs alongside long-term support for stroke survivors.

"Stroke care depends on a chain of decisions and actions that begins before a patient reaches hospital. No single institution or technology can strengthen that chain alone," said Leguet. "Continued regional cooperation, combined with locally adapted action, can help health systems learn from proven approaches, reduce avoidable delays and build stronger stroke pathways for patients throughout Southeast Asia."

Read the full report here.

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Siemens Healthineers pioneers breakthroughs in healthcare. For everyone. Everywhere. Sustainably. The company is a global provider of healthcare equipment, solutions and services, with activities in more than 180 countries and direct representation in more than 70. The group comprises Siemens Healthineers AG, listed as SHL in Frankfurt, Germany, and its subsidiaries. As a leading medical technology company, Siemens Healthineers is committed to improving access to healthcare for underserved communities worldwide and is striving to overcome the most threatening diseases. The company is principally active in the areas of imaging, diagnostics, cancer care and minimally invasive therapies, augmented by digital technology and artificial intelligence. In fiscal 2025, which ended on September 30, 2025, Siemens Healthineers had approximately 74,000 employees worldwide and generated revenue of around €23.4 billion. Further information is available at siemens-healthineers.com.

SOURCE Siemens Healthineers