Pakistan is a developing country where the need for critical care is escalating owing to an increasing incidence of trauma, infectious diseases and a high burden of non-communicable diseases requiring organ support and monitoring in an intensive care setting. ICUs equipped with basic monitors and ventilators have mushroomed in both public and private sector in the last few decades. However, training of human resource has lagged behind. Many fully equipped ICUs at district level hospitals are non-operational due to dearth of trained staff and lives of many critically ill patients are in danger in the hands of unskilled and un trained doctors and paramedics. In order to improve the basic care of critically ill patients there is a dire need to promote training, education, awareness and research in this emerging field through structured training Programmes.

The College of Physicians & Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) is offering FCPS in Critical Care Medicine (CCM) after 2 years fellowship training from recognized institutions. However, the number of recognized centers and supervisors are few and candidates availing this opportunity is very small as this is secondary sub-specialty track and a second fellowship.

A direct-entry after MBBS in a structured Critical Care Medicine training programme (MD) with an opportunity to learn Acute Respiratory care within the dynamic environment of an intensive care unit by Ziauddin University, will go a long way in filling the human resource training gap in CCM.