On Wednesday, the Supreme Court of India ordered a comprehensive nationwide audit of intensive care unit (ICU) facilities, mandating that states and Union Territories complete a gap assessment within two months. This directive aims to identify infrastructural and manpower deficiencies and determine necessary equipment to align critical care facilities with model guidelines established by a court-appointed panel of experts. Additionally, the court instructed the Indian Nursing Council (INC) to report on the hands-on training facilities available across the 800 nursing colleges it oversees.

The Supreme Court's bench, comprising Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan, emphasized the critical state of healthcare in India, noting that the population is growing rapidly while healthcare facilities struggle to keep pace. The audit will also assess the implementation of minimum standards for ICUs, categorized into three levels based on the complexity of care required. This initiative is rooted in a case filed by Asit Baran Mondal, who sought compensation after his wife's death due to inadequate ICU care in a Kolkata hospital in 2013. The court's decision reflects an urgent need to enhance the quality of healthcare services across the country.