Ecmo in covid-19-the diffidence has to be overcome by the intensivists and administrators in 2021

Kapoor, P. M.

In this phase of a shifting geopolitical order with the risk of China and increasing economic inequalities across the globe, there is confusion in understanding the economic recession.The pandemic has revealed one of the weakest links in the health system, that is, the institutional neglect of public district hospitals.We are now hopefully seeing a declining trend in the second wave of the pandemic in India.This is the most appropriate time to identify and plug the existing gaps on our health systems.We must act now to shore up our resources in all technologies to combat the COVID-19 virus with all forms of precaution at the local level and expertise of advanced technologies like mechanic ventilatory support to the failing lungs and heart in the form of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO).The latter can be the foun- dation for a functioning and effective health in the inten- sive care unit (ICU) system.Guidelines and expertise from across the borders globally is the need of the hour.After the COVID pandemic dies down, it is the district hospitals and their infrastructure which should be strengthened by way of upgrading public health systems.