Key Points
The Central government has released guidelines for hospitals to use when taking a call on whether or not a patient needs to be treated in an intensive care unit (ICU)..
Some medical issues, such as "an altered level of consciousness or if the patient needs respiratory support," are listed as reasons why a patient might need to be admitted to the intensive care unit..
Additionally, ICU care has been advised for patients who have had any significant intraoperative complications, have a medical condition that is expected to worsen after surgery, or have a severe acute illness requiring extensive monitoring...
When it comes to staffing, the guidelines require that intensivists or critical care specialistsspecialists with specialised education, accreditation, and hands-on experience in managing critically ill patients in intensive care unitsbe readily available..
According to experts, the new guidelines that the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), the highest technical advisory and regulatory body of healthcare under the health ministry, has already made public, may make it easier to decide whether or not an ICU admission was necessary in some circumstances...
