As World Stroke Day approaches: Riga East University Hospital Stroke Unit stands among the most professional in Northern Europe, providing top-tier care

As World Stroke Day approaches, held annually on 29 October, the Riga East Clinical University Hospital (East Hospital) reaffirms its commitment to excellence in stroke care through Latvia’s first Stroke Unit, founded 25 years ago. It is a specialised unit designed to ensure more prompt, modern, and high-quality treatment for stroke patients. The Stroke Unit admits approximately 1,500 patients annually. Since its establishment in 2000, treatment has been provided to more than 15,000 patients.

The East Hospital’s Stroke Unit is the first in Latvia to receive certification from the European Stroke Organisation. This certification demonstrates that stroke patients receive treatment and care in accordance with the highest European standards and clinical guidelines.

To achieve this recognition, the medical and nursing team of the East Hospital’s Stroke Unit implemented several key improvements, including:

• introduction of the Standard Operating Procedure Unit (SOPU), a detailed diagnostic, treatment and management algorithm for the care of stroke patients;
• staff training in line with the latest European guidelines;
• education of general practitioners about stroke symptoms and the appropriate response algorithm;
• public education on prevention, symptom recognition, and rehabilitation;
• regular collection and analysis of statistical data on treatment outcomes.

The work of the Stroke Unit is overseen by the team of neurologists of the Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinic, who specialise in the treatment of neurovascular diseases. Professor Guntis Karelis, Head of the Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinic at East Hospital, points out: “Every step in the clinical pathway of a stroke patient is implemented according to a strict algorithm, ensuring that the treatment process is sequential and coordinated. Stroke care is a team effort that not only saves lives but also enables patients to return to a full and active life in society.”

The medical team of the Stroke Unit works in close collaboration with the Emergency Medicine and Patient Admission Clinic, as well as with interventional radiologists from the Department of Interventional Radiology. At the East Hospital, stroke patients have 24/7 access to comprehensive diagnostic examinations, including CT, MRI, angiography, ECG, and laboratory tests.

Each year, around 1,500 patients undergo various procedures in the East Hospital’s Stroke Unit, including more than 300 thrombolysis procedures. This treatment method is provided for up to 30% of all stroke patients. Biruta Tilgale, Lead Neurovascular Neurologist from the Neurology and Neurosurgery Clinic at the East Hospital, explains: “Each year, both mortality and functional impairment following stroke continue to decline, demonstrating the quality of the treatment process and the professionalism of the team.”

The interventional radiology team also contributes greatly to the treatment of stroke patients, performing minimally invasive thrombectomy procedures to remove blood clots from the brain’s blood vessels. “This procedure significantly improves treatment outcomes and reduces the patient’s risk of disability,” explains Sanita Ponomarjova, Director of the Department of Interventional Radiology and the Lead Interventional Radiologist at East Hospital.

Before obtaining certification,  East Hospital’s Stroke Unit participated in the European Stroke Organisation’s Angels Awards programme, achieving gold, platinum, and diamond level recognition. As part of the programme, a simulation of the operational stroke care pathway was conducted at the hospital, during which experts assessed the performance of the medical team and the emergency response algorithm in real time.

The three strategic priorities in stroke care are as follows:

1. Prevention– to reduce the incidence of stroke by educating the public about risk factors and the importance of prevention.
2. Quality of treatment– to continuously improve the diagnostic, treatment, and care processes.
3. Rehabilitation– to minimise functional disability, allowing patients to return to an independent and fulfilling life after stroke.

Stroke treatment algorithms and processes at  East Hospital are continuously improved. Through multidisciplinary cooperation, patients receive the most effective treatment and rehabilitation options from the moment they are admitted through the Emergency Medicine and Patient Admission Clinic. Every patient experiencing a stroke is assessed by specialists in the Rehabilitation Clinic during the treatment process to help reduce disability after a stroke and support adaptation to life after the illness.

The European Stroke Organisation certification granted to the East Hospital’s Stroke Unit is valid until 16 March 2026. To renew the certification, the Stroke Unit’s medical team will undergo a full audit and evaluation process once again. For full information about certified European hospitals, please visit https://eso-certification.org/european-database.

About the East Hospital 

Riga East Clinical University Hospital is the largest and strategically significant multi-profile hospital in the country. The hospital consists of five inpatient facilities – Gaiļezers, Latvian Oncology Centre, Biķernieki, Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Centre, and Latvian Infectious Diseases Centre, along with various specialised centres and clinics. The hospital provides highly specialised inpatient and secondary outpatient healthcare, offering multidisciplinary tertiary-level treatment and care in line with modern technology and medical knowledge. Approximately 80% of all cancer patients in Latvia are treated at the hospital. It serves as a practical training base for both Latvian educational institutions and foreign students, providing further education and knowledge transfer to healthcare specialists within and beyond the country. The hospital engages in scientific research and develops innovative methods for patient treatment. As the third-largest employer in the country, the hospital employs around 5000 staff members.