Futuristic ICU ward in a Bangladesh hospital, symbolizing hope and advanced healthcare.

Navigating Critical Care: A Practical Guide to ICUs in Bangladesh

Rhea Morgan in Health & Wellness June 2025 • 4 min read.

"Understanding Intensive Care Units: From origins to current challenges and future directions in Bangladesh's healthcare landscape"

Intensive Care Units (ICUs) have become integral to modern healthcare, with roots tracing back to 1953 when innovative care was provided to Danish poliomyelitis patients through invasive mechanical ventilation. While earlier forms of intensive care existed, this marked the beginning of specialized units focused on critical patient care and enhanced survival rates.

Within the broad field of anesthesia, specialties like pain management, CPR, and palliative care are vital, but intensive care medicine stands out for its rapid growth and essential role. Modern ICUs have evolved into diverse subspecialties, including Cardiac Care Units (CCU), Neuro ICUs, Obstetric ICUs, Neonatal ICUs, and specialized units for trauma, burns, and poisoning cases.

Today's ICUs demand continuous academic advancement, including structured postgraduate training, research into the complexities of patient pathophysiology, advanced ventilation techniques, invasive procedures, infection control, and comprehensive treatment protocols aimed at improving patient outcomes.

What Defines an Intensive Care Unit?

Futuristic ICU ward in a Bangladesh hospital, symbolizing hope and advanced healthcare.

An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is defined as a specialized and fully-equipped hospital section dedicated to observing, treating, and caring for patients with life-threatening conditions, injuries, or complications where recovery is possible. Since their inception, ICUs have remained a primary subspecialty within anesthesiology, involving collaboration across various medical fields such as surgical/medical internal medicine, cardiology, pulmonology, psychiatry, and emergency medicine.

Patients requiring ICU care typically fall into three categories: those with acute organ dysfunction needing intensive support, patients undergoing major procedures requiring monitoring to prevent organ dysfunction, and those receiving end-of-life care after intensive care interventions have not been successful. Effective intensive care requires an interdisciplinary team, including nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, biotechnicians, pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, and spiritual care providers.

Acute organ dysfunction.
Post-major procedure monitoring.
End-of-life care.

The first ICU in Bangladesh was established in 1980 at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). Currently, only Dhaka and Chittagong Medical College Hospitals have ICUs. While the number of ICUs has been growing in recent years, most are concentrated in Dhaka. There are approximately fifty ICUs with 550 beds, primarily within the private sector.

Moving Forward: Enhancing ICU Capabilities in Bangladesh

The evolution of intensive care from its early management of poliomyelitis patients to today’s interdisciplinary teams highlights its critical role. Addressing the scarcity of intensive care capacity in developing countries like Bangladesh requires ongoing efforts to improve care through better budgeting, education, comprehensive training, and research. The strategic implementation of ICU information systems across medical colleges and hospitals can enhance clinical environments and ensure rational, multidisciplinary intensive care. As Bangladesh progresses in healthcare, prioritizing these advancements will lead to substantial improvements in patient outcomes and overall healthcare quality.

About this Article -

This article was crafted using a human-AI hybrid and collaborative approach. AI assisted our team with initial drafting, research insights, identifying key questions, and image generation. Our human editors guided topic selection, defined the angle, structured the content, ensured factual accuracy and relevance, refined the tone, and conducted thorough editing to deliver helpful, high-quality information.See our About page for more information.

This article is based on research published under:

DOI-LINK: 10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14759, Alternate LINK

Title: Intensive Care Unit: Bangladesh Perspective

Subject: General Medicine

Journal: Journal of Bangladesh College of Physicians and Surgeons

Publisher: Bangladesh Journals Online (JOL)

Authors: Uh Shahera Khatun, Md. Wakely Mandal

Published: 2013-04-25

Everything You Need To Know

What exactly is an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and what is its purpose?

An Intensive Care Unit (ICU) is a specialized and fully-equipped hospital section. It is dedicated to observing, treating, and caring for patients with life-threatening conditions, injuries, or complications where recovery is possible. The development of ICUs began in 1953. They originated as a response to the need for advanced care for patients, specifically those with conditions like poliomyelitis, requiring invasive mechanical ventilation. The main purpose is to improve patient outcomes and survival rates by providing intensive support.

Why are Intensive Care Units (ICUs) so important?

ICUs are crucial because they provide advanced care for patients with life-threatening conditions. Modern ICUs have expanded to include Cardiac Care Units (CCU), Neuro ICUs, Obstetric ICUs, Neonatal ICUs, and units for trauma, burns, and poisoning cases, making them essential in multiple areas of medicine. The first ICU in Bangladesh was established in 1980 at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases (NICVD). Their existence has profound implications as it affects the availability of critical care services and the ability to manage complex medical cases, which directly influences patient survival rates and the overall quality of healthcare.

Where are Intensive Care Units (ICUs) located in Bangladesh, and what are the current challenges?

ICUs in Bangladesh are currently concentrated in Dhaka and Chittagong Medical College Hospitals, with approximately fifty units and 550 beds, largely within the private sector. This concentration indicates a significant disparity in access to critical care services across the country. The scarcity is a challenge for Bangladesh, potentially leading to unequal access to care and increased mortality rates in regions without adequate ICU facilities. Efforts to enhance ICU capabilities involve better budgeting, education, training, and research, as well as the implementation of ICU information systems.

Who are the typical patients admitted to an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and what kind of care do they receive?

Patients in need of ICU care generally fall into three categories: those with acute organ dysfunction requiring intensive support, patients undergoing major procedures needing monitoring to prevent organ dysfunction, and those receiving end-of-life care when intensive interventions have been unsuccessful. Effective care requires an interdisciplinary team that includes nurses, physicians, respiratory therapists, biotechnicians, pharmacists, nutritionists, social workers, and spiritual care providers. The categories show the ICU's role in addressing the most critical medical needs.

What does the future hold for Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in Bangladesh?

The future of ICUs in Bangladesh involves enhancing capabilities through better budgeting, education, and research. There is a need for structured postgraduate training, research into patient pathophysiology, advanced ventilation techniques, invasive procedures, infection control, and comprehensive treatment protocols. Also, the strategic implementation of ICU information systems across medical colleges and hospitals can greatly improve clinical environments. These advancements will lead to significant improvements in patient outcomes and the overall quality of healthcare in Bangladesh.