Challenges in the delivery of critical care in India during pandemics
As the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country in full force, the healthcare and critical care in India is under massive strain once again with infection and death rates going up the graph. The shortage of hospital beds, staff, ventilators, and healthcare equipment such as PPE, N-95 masks is increasing day by day. With the second wave having a more developed SARS-CoV-2 infection, more and more people are in the need of critical care in India which is overwhelming the healthcare system. With the expected rise in case numbers, a collaborative effort between various public health organizations and the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine would be critical in ensuring sufficient intensive care to critically ill patients. Patients with COVID-19.
Researchers have highlighted the unprecedented demand that the infectious disease has raised on the country's healthcare system in a paper titled "Challenges in the delivery of critical care in India during the Covid19 pandemic" published in the Journal of Intensive Care Society. Meanwhile, India recorded the highest daily tally of 90,802 cases on Sunday, surpassing the cumulative cases reported from the pandemic's other nine worst-affected countries. According to government statistics, the number of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) has fluctuated between 1.5 and 2.5 percent of all active cases. The authors of the paper claim that even though only 5% of patients need urgent care, the healthcare system in a world where intensive care facilities and resources are inadequate and unevenly dispersed would be quickly overwhelmed.
With a population of over 1.3 billion people, the majority of whom live in rural and remote areas, India's critical care and public health systems are under severe strain. Furthermore, the pandemic is predicted to last longer, and given India's peculiar circumstances, the curve will take longer to flatten. With the expected rise in case numbers, a collaborative effort between multiple public health agencies and the ISCCM would be vital in ensuring adequate intensive care for COVID-19 patients.
