Shaping the Future: Acute Care Surgery & Traumatology for General Surgeons in India

Abstract

Acute Care Surgery (ACS) represents an integrated approach that combines emergency general surgery (EGS), trauma, and surgical critical care into a cohesive subspecialty. In the USA and UK, ACS has evolved into a structured discipline, while Australia has progressively built trauma systems that integrate ACS principles. For India, where injury and emergency surgical burdens remain among the highest globally, the absence of an organized ACS framework creates gaps in care delivery. This perspective paper synthesizes global lessons, explores Indian realities, and argues for urgent policy, training, and system reformto embed ACS in national surgical services.