ICUs worldwide: Critical care in India

Critical care practices in India have evolved significantly over the past decade. Critical care initially began as a service in major hospitals, but with the formation of the Indian Society of Critical Care Medicine the development of this speciality has been very rapid. Regular conferences, updates, continuing medical education programmes and workshops have emerged, and postdoctoral training programmes have been developed. Scientific publications have begun to appear and in spite of the diverse problems and standards, meaningful speciality-related activities have begun. Future challenges include the development of guidelines, the consolidation of training activities and research on the outcome of critical tropical problems.