Our Story
Dear all, I’m Dr. Ankur Gupta, an intensivist and the Founder President of ESBICM. I’d like to take a moment to share the story behind how ESBICM came into being.
This journey began after I completed my fellowship in critical care medicine in 2012. Even before that, I had authored books such as Pre PG Medicos and Medicoz Lemon magazine, managed the website prepgmedicos, and operated an academic SMS group with around 40,000 students to support medical students preparing for their MD/MS entrance exams. Teaching and sharing knowledge has always been my passion. After my fellowship, I felt a strong desire to pass on what I had learned—not only to my colleagues but also to nurses, paramedics, and healthcare workers in ICUs and emergency departments across the country.
In the early days of WhatsApp, a small group of ICU care professionals, including myself, started using the platform for fast and coordinated communication. This group quickly grew, connecting over 15 ICU teams nationwide.
It soon became clear that critical care was an emerging specialty both in India and worldwide. Many healthcare professionals working in ICUs were eager for training, yet free and affordable opportunities were scarce. Most programs were financially out of reach for frontline workers.
More than any new gadgets or technology, I realized that what truly makes a difference in intensive care is the people—their knowledge, critical thinking, and decisions at the patient’s bedside. This philosophy—bedside intensive care—became the foundation of what we aimed to build.
With this vision, on October 11, 2018, the Educational Society of Bedside Intensive Care Medicine (ESBICM) was founded with a clear mission: to provide free, accessible bedside intensive care education to even the most remote ICUs in the world, removing financial barriers along the way.
Starting out, we faced many challenges. Finding like-minded individuals was difficult, especially since we committed to offering all our services free of charge. Many questioned how this model could be sustained or why anyone would contribute without financial incentives. Lacking formal speakers and external funding, we relied on small personal contributions and the steadfast support of my mother, who serves as our society’s treasurer, to keep ESBICM’s services free.
Our early efforts were modest—free workshops and classes held in cafés, charity halls, or informal settings. Enthusiasm grew steadily until the COVID-19 pandemic halted in-person teaching.
Determined to maintain momentum, we began recording lectures directly in the ICU for those unable to attend. As WhatsApp couldn’t handle large video files, we turned to YouTube. Our channel started as “Bedside Intensive Care,” evolved to “RegularCrisis,” and was finally rebranded on May 27, 2022, as “The ICU Channel by ESBICM.”
These videos have reached far beyond our original audience, with healthcare professionals from cities, states, and countries across the globe benefiting from them. Many shared how these resources helped them pass exams or make crucial patient care decisions, inspiring us to expand our online education further.
Today, our outreach spans multiple platforms. Alongside The ICU Channel on YouTube, we offer short, practical tips on Instagram; connect through voice messages and discussions on Telegram and WhatsApp; maintain forums for questions and case discussions; provide live and recorded classes; and host online workshops with plans for physical workshops and academic conferences in the near future. We also publish a blog with detailed articles and literature updates and circulate a newsletter to keep our community informed. ESBICM covers everything from foundational topics to the most advanced, evidence-based, and up-to-date content—always simplified for bedside application.
To maintain academic quality and support our members, we formed the ESBICM Academic Committee and now offer free membership to healthcare professionals worldwide. We are humbled by collaborations with societies globally and by healthcare professionals who volunteer their time to spread the word, support academic initiatives, and organize workshops as Academic Volunteers of ESBICM. These collective efforts affirm that we are moving in the right direction.
From small beginnings, ESBICM and The ICU Channel now connect learners in over 60 countries, trusted as a reliable source for intensive care education.
Looking ahead, we are preparing to launch certificate courses, starting with a pilot Mechanical Ventilation program. Our commitment remains strong: to bring free, bedside-focused intensive care education to every remote ICU worldwide.
This journey is fueled by shared passion and the belief that empowered healthcare professionals save more lives. We are grateful to have you as part of ESBICM’s story.
If you believe in our mission, please consider supporting us by sharing your cases, labs, and clinical images; participating in our forums; contributing financially to sustain our work; or encouraging your colleagues to subscribe to The ICU Channel and help spread the word.
Thank you for being with us.
Dr. Ankur Gupta and the entire ESBICM Team