Pediatrics
Starting from
$2,000
Up to $15,000 depending on centre
Typical duration
7–60 days
Including pre-operative work-up
Partner hospitals
2
Vetted for outcome data & accreditation
Content reviewed for medical accuracy by: Dr. Rodina Ainasoa · Medical Content Writer & Health Communications
Tertiary-level pediatric intensive care for critically ill children requiring mechanical ventilation, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), or complex multi-organ monitoring — available at world-class children's hospitals in India and Israel that accept international referrals and medical transfers for the most complex pediatric cases.
Your case is matched to a centre on the basis of clinical outcome data, not marketing. We coordinate every step — from pre-operative work-up to post-treatment follow-up — with a dedicated care coordinator.
Advanced PICU Care
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PICU care is a level of critical-care support, not a single procedure chosen between two techniques. The table below compares what PICU-level care provides against general pediatric ward care, so families understand why a critically ill child is placed in one setting rather than the other.
| Parameter | PICU-Level Care | General Pediatric Ward Care |
|---|---|---|
| Nurse-to-patient ratio | Typically one nurse to one or two patients, allowing continuous bedside observation of a critically ill child. | Typically one nurse to several patients, appropriate for children who are stable and do not require continuous bedside observation. |
| Monitoring intensity | Continuous, minute-by-minute monitoring of heart rhythm, oxygen levels, blood pressure, and other vital signs via bedside monitors. | Periodic checks of vital signs at scheduled intervals, sufficient for children who are medically stable. |
| Available equipment and support | Mechanical ventilators, ECMO (extracorporeal membrane oxygenation), continuous renal replacement therapy, and rapid-response pediatric intensivist coverage around the clock. | Standard pediatric nursing and medical equipment for children who do not need organ-support machines or continuous intensivist oversight. |
| Staffing expertise | Dedicated pediatric intensivists, critical-care nurses, and perfusionists trained specifically in supporting failing organ systems in children. | General pediatric physicians and nurses, appropriate for routine pediatric illness and recovery. |
| Who it is for | Children with, or at risk of, life-threatening organ dysfunction — for example severe sepsis, respiratory failure, or the period after complex surgery. | Children who are unwell but medically stable and do not currently require organ support or continuous critical-care monitoring. |
PICU care is not a fixed protocol — it is organised around stabilising and treating the underlying condition that led to admission. The stages below describe the typical arc of a PICU stay, per Society of Critical Care Medicine and American Academy of Pediatrics guidance.
Admission and continuous monitoring
On arrival, the child is connected to continuous monitoring of heart rhythm, breathing, oxygen levels, and blood pressure, and the pediatric intensivist team completes a rapid assessment to identify the underlying condition and any organs at risk.
Stabilization and treatment of the underlying condition
The team treats the condition that caused the admission — for example infection, respiratory failure, or the aftermath of surgery — using organ-support tools such as mechanical ventilation, ECMO, or continuous renal replacement therapy as needed, while adjusting treatment based on how the child responds.
Weaning from ventilator or other organ support
As the underlying condition improves, support is reduced gradually and carefully — for example lowering ventilator settings step by step — with the pace guided entirely by the child's own clinical progress rather than a preset timeline.
Transition to step-down or ward-level care
Once the child no longer needs continuous critical-care monitoring or organ support, they are transferred to a step-down unit or general pediatric ward, with a full handover of their case to the receiving team.
The most intensive period, focused on stabilizing vital signs and beginning treatment of the underlying condition; length of PICU stay from this point is determined entirely by clinical status, not a fixed protocol, per Society of Critical Care Medicine guidance.
For many children, this is when organ support (ventilation, ECMO, or other therapies) is gradually reduced as the underlying condition responds to treatment; some children remain critically unwell for longer and need continued full support during this period.
More complex cases — severe sepsis, multi-organ involvement, or prolonged ECMO support — can require PICU care for several weeks; the family is kept closely informed as the care team reassesses the child's condition daily.
Once critical-care support is no longer needed, the child moves to a step-down unit or general ward, with a discharge summary and follow-up plan shared with the family and the home-country care team.
Source: Society of Critical Care Medicine (pediatric section); American Academy of Pediatrics; Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic. PICU stay length varies significantly by underlying diagnosis and is guided by the treating pediatric intensivist team.
Known Risks & Limitations
Source: Society of Critical Care Medicine (pediatric section); American Academy of Pediatrics; Mayo Clinic; Cleveland Clinic. No critical-care admission is without risk; the treating pediatric intensivist team will discuss your child's individual case in detail.
Urgent case triage
Because PICU-level care is typically needed in a medical emergency rather than as a planned visit, our team prioritizes your child's case for rapid clinical review, working directly with the referring physician wherever possible.
Hospital and intensivist matching
We connect your family with an accredited children's hospital with the specific PICU capability your child needs — for example ECMO or advanced ventilatory support — and share your child's medical records securely with the receiving pediatric intensive care team.
Transfer and logistics coordination
Our team coordinates the practicalities of an urgent medical transfer — documentation, visas, medical transport, and insurance liaison — so your family can focus on your child rather than logistics.
Family support during treatment
A dedicated multilingual liaison keeps your family informed with daily updates from the PICU team, helps arrange accommodation near the hospital, and provides emotional support resources throughout what is often an extremely stressful time.
Step-down planning and continuity of care
As your child's condition stabilizes, we help plan the transition to step-down or ward-level care and, when the family is ready to return home, ensure full medical records and a follow-up plan are shared with your home-country care team.
Average coordinated costs across our partner centres. Final pricing depends on clinical complexity and chosen hospital.
| Country | Avg. cost | vs. cheapest |
|---|---|---|
🇮🇳 India New Delhi · Chennai · Bengaluru · Hyderabad · Mumbai · Kochi | $3,000 | —chevron_right |
🇹🇷 Turkey Istanbul | $8,000 | +167%chevron_right |
Costs are indicative estimates and vary by procedure specifics, hospital, and clinical complexity. Request a personalised estimate for your specific case.
Faridabad, India
Asia's largest private hospital — 2,600 beds, 64 operation theatres, 81 specialties on a 130-acre campus in Delhi NCR. NABH & NABL accredited. Centres of excellence in oncology, cardiac surgery, BMT, organ transplantation, neurosciences, and IVF.
800+
Specialists
2,600+
Beds
Hyderabad, India
Rainbow Children's Hospitals is India's foremost dedicated pediatric, women's, and fertility care hospital chain, operating 24 hospitals with 2,400+ beds and 1,300+ doctors across Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Guwahati, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam, Warangal, and Rajahmundry. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the group has delivered 2 lakh+ babies and served 12.5 lakh+ patients across 40+ clinical specialties. Its child care centres of excellence cover general paediatrics, neonatal ICU, paediatric cardiology, haematology and oncology, nephrology, neurosurgery, and bone marrow transplantation. The women's care programme spans obstetrics, high-risk pregnancy, fetal medicine, painless delivery, and gynaecological surgery, while the fertility division — established in 2010 — offers IVF, ICSI, embryo transfer, cryopreservation, and donor treatments. Rainbow Hospitals received the Outlook Health Awards 2023 for excellence in paediatric and women's healthcare.
1,300+
Specialists
2,400+
Beds
International medical transfer of a critically ill child is a serious decision requiring coordination between the current treating team, the receiving hospital, and a specialist medical transport service. Our partner hospitals have experience receiving air ambulance transfers and can accept children on ventilator support or ECMO transport. Before any transfer, the receiving PICU team will review medical records and confirm they can accept the case. We facilitate this case review process and connect families with accredited pediatric medical transport providers. Transfer is only recommended when the receiving center offers a meaningfully better level of care than what is currently available.
No fees. No commitment.
We are compensated by our partner hospitals — never by patients. You get independent clinical matching, cost transparency, and end-to-end coordination at no cost to you.
