The National Neuroscience Institute (NNI) in Singapore has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Siriraj Hospital, Thailand, to enhance the standard of neurointervention care in both countries. The MoU formalises long-standing ties between the two institutions and focuses on deepening collaborations on education, research and the sharing of best practices in the field of neurointervention.

Neurointervention uses minimally invasive techniques with imaging to treat stroke, aneurysms and other conditions caused by damaged and malformed blood vessels in the brain and spine. A fine catheter (tube) is inserted into an artery in the groin and passed through the blood vessels to the affected site in the brain or spine, allowing specialists to repair the damage from within the blood vessel.

Discussions on an MoU to formalise the collaboration began five years ago. Top of the agenda are exchange programmes between NNI and Siriraj Hospital to provide neurointervention doctors, nurses and allied health professionals the opportunity to hone their clinical skills and broaden their knowledge in workflow and clinical management methodologies.

Another area of potential research collaboration is in neurointervention management of stroke, a leading cause of death and disability in Singapore and Thailand. Ischaemic stroke, which is caused by a blockage in blood vessels in the brain, is the most common type of stroke in both countries. However, the proportion of haemorrhagic stroke cases, (stroke caused by bleeding in the brain), is higher in Singapore and Thailand compared to Caucasian populations, highlighting the need for such research collaborations to advance care.