‘COVID-19 fails to teach lesson; no Govt hospital has Critical Care Unit’

 

 

 

 

It seems Government hasn’t learnt any lesson from the coronavirus pandemic. Critical Care Medicine, a speciality that played a significant role during COVID-19, has no place in Government hospitals. “Shockingly, no Government-run hospital has a single Critical Care Unit. On the other hand, almost every private hospital has it.

 

Government must give a deep thought to it and make it a priority of introducing a critical care unit in its hospitals,” Dr Pradeep Rangappa, Consultant Intensive Care Physician of Manipal Hospital, Yashwantpur strongly suggested. Dr Rangappa, National President Elect of Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine (ISCCM), while talking to ‘The Hitavada’, said that, ISCCM was pursuing this issue with the Government. Dr Rangappa is in Nagpur to grace the 13th Annual Conference of Critical Care Medicine — Mahacriticon 2025 underway at Hotel Centre Point. The conference is concluding on Sunday.

 

A Critical Care Unit (CCU) is a specialised hospital department that provides intensive care medicine for patients with life-threatening injuries or illnesses. During COVID-19, the treatment modalities were not fixed. Several patients became critically ill with issues of multiple organs. In private hospitals, they were treated in critical care units, while in Government-run ones, they were kept in Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

 

The medical treatment modality or strategies are different everywhere in the country, which makes it difficult for the doctors while handling the patients. Dr Rangappa is taking charge as National President in March 2026. Among the five things he has planned to do during his tenure is to endeavour to bring uniformity in the healthcare treatment system pan India. “Government of India is already doing it.

 

I have created 600 videos to educate people. If we could bring homogeneity in the checklist, we can deliver better treatment to the patients. Critical Care Society is the largest among all the medical associations of specialists as it has a whopping 18,000 members. There are 120 quality indicators defined in our speciality. It indicates what kind of efforts we take to render quality healthcare. Considering all these aspects, we strongly feel Government must give due importance to establishing critical care units in the hospitals run by it,”

 

Dr Rangappa made it clear. “With so much advancements emerging, nobody should stay behind. Government of India is trying to push technology through Ayushman Digital Health Mission. I being a President will give emphasis on Telemedicine, Tele ICU etc. Most importantly, I shall try to establish advanced diagnostic unit. If we are able to make faster diagnosis, the treatment management can be planned. The ultimate beneficiary of all these advancements will be the patient,” Dr Rangappa said.