The 21st Delhi Critical Care Symposium (DCCS 2026), running from 13 to 15 November 2026 at Kailash Hospital, Noida, is bringing together intensivists and young medical professionals from across the Delhi-NCR region to build hands-on competency in mechanical ventilation and bronchoscopy — skills increasingly critical as worsening air quality drives a surge in respiratory admissions to intensive care units. The three-day event is organised by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM) Delhi–Noida Chapter under the theme 'Critical Care Redefined: Evidence, Expertise, Excellence'.

Focus on Mechanical Ventilation and Bronchoscopy

Dr. Nandani Gulati, Course Director, said the workshop is specifically designed for students and budding doctors working in ICUs across the region. 'Today's workshop focuses on mechanical ventilation and bronchoscopy. We have esteemed faculty members from all major hospitals in Delhi-NCR who are experts in these subjects,' she said. The format combines lectures with hands-on skill stations to give participants practical exposure, not just classroom theory.

Dr. Vineeta Goyal, also serving as Course Director, described one session as a one-day programme on 'integrating humans and machines,' in which participants from across Delhi-NCR learn how to synchronise ventilator settings with clinical decision-making. 'Hopefully, the students will gain from it,' she added.

Pollution Crisis Driving the Urgency

Dr. Anil Gurnani, Patron of the symposium, directly linked the event's timing to the deteriorating air quality index (AQI) across Delhi-NCR. 'The rising AQI across Delhi-NCR and surrounding areas is a major reason why people are facing respiratory diseases and breathing difficulties, and many patients are being admitted to hospitals and ICUs,' he said. 'Since AQI is high, people are facing more number of respiratory illnesses. We want to teach the participants how to deal with those by providing artificial respiratory support.'

This context lends the symposium particular relevance: the Delhi-NCR region routinely records some of the worst air quality readings in the world during the winter months of October through January, placing sustained pressure on ICU infrastructure and staff capacity.

Five Parallel Workshops Across Three Days

Dr. Amit Goel, Organising Secretary, said the symposium runs five concurrent workshops covering nursing excellence, mechanical ventilation, ultrasound, hemodynamics, and ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation). 'This is a very well-thought-out strategy for all the doctors who are participating,' he said, adding that the design ensures participants acquire skills to manage critically ill patients across a range of scenarios.

Dr. Prashant Saxena, Mentor, emphasised that the primary target audience is young intensivists who have limited exposure to mechanical ventilation in their training. 'We have got all the esteemed teachers from across Delhi-NCR who are here to teach the students, and I am sure this is going to be a great success,' he said.

Notable Attendance and Institutional Backing

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament and Kailash Hospital Chief Managing Director Mahesh Sharma also attended the symposium, underscoring the institutional profile of the host venue. The hospital's location in Noida, Uttar Pradesh places it at the heart of the NCR's secondary healthcare belt, which absorbs significant overflow from Delhi's overstretched public hospitals during high-pollution periods.

What Comes Next

With DCCS 2026 running through 15 November 2026, organising faculty expect the remaining sessions on hemodynamics and ECMO to draw the largest specialist interest. The symposium's annual format means findings and training protocols demonstrated this year are likely to inform ICU practices across NCR hospitals in the months ahead — a cycle that takes on added weight as pollution forecasts for the remainder of November remain grim.