Srinagar, Oct. 28 -- On World Stroke Day, I often pause to think about the word faaleg, our Kashmiri name for stroke.

It's a word we hear too casually, used for all kinds of neurological issues. But for those who've truly seen a stroke unfold, faaleg is a terrifying moment that can alter a life within seconds.

As a neurologist, I've witnessed this countless times in hospital corridors, where every passing minute decides how much of a person's mind and memory we can save.

This year's theme, "Every Minute Counts - Act FAST," could not be more urgent. Science tells us that 1.9 million neurons die every minute a stroke is left untreated.

That is what we mean when we say time is brain.

In the first hour after a stroke, the brain's arc...