Challenges in critical care medicine in India

How to cite this article: Divatia JV. Challenges in critical care medicine in India. Ind J Resp Care 2013; 2:169-173. Over the last few decades, there has been a tremendous increase in the knowledge, technology and skills required to treat critically ill patients. This has led to the development of intensive care units (ICUs), which are essentially areas where severely ill patients can be cared for and provided with the infrastructure and expertise necessary to treat critical illness. The ICU is highly specified and sophisticated area of a hospital which is designed, staffed, located, furnished and equipped, dedicated to management of critically ill patients, injuries or complications. It is a department with dedicated medical, nursing and allied staff. It operates with defined policies, protocols and procedures, having its own quality control, education, training and research programmes.1