Pediatric cardiac intensivists in low-middle-income countries - necessity or dispensable luxury?

Pediatric cardiac intensive care (PCIC) is now a well-recognized specialty in the well-resourced developed world, and its need and utilization in optimal delivery of care for congenital heart disease (CHD) especially congenital heart surgery (CHS) is well established. The delivery of CHD care in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) continues to face numerous challenges, not the least of which is the availability of resources to develop and maintain PCIC units and the pediatric intensivists to man them. This article explores the question as to whether reliable PCIC is feasible in LMICs and remains a necessity, or if it is dispensable. The article also looks at the current status and challenges of PCIC in resource-limited environs.