Supreme Court orders nine-month ICU upgrades and six-month staff hiring across India

In a September 21 ruling, Justices Ahsanuddin Amanullah and R Mahadevan instructed all government and private hospitals to comply with the 2026 Guidelines for Organisation and Delivery of Intensive Care Services. Infrastructure upgrades prescribed for up to 12 months must now be completed within nine months, and the recruitment of ICU specialists, trained MBBS doctors, nurses and allied health professionals must be finished within six months.

Hospitals also have three months to install bedside utilities, non-emergency equipment and laboratory services, while infection-control and safety protocols are to be enacted immediately. The court emphasized that failure to meet these timelines could trigger strict judicial action, and it ordered Chief Secretaries and other officials to ensure compliance. Status reports are due by November 5, with a follow-up hearing on November 16, and facilities in remote areas may request extensions if they detail prior work and needed additional time.