Key questions What is already known? Critical illness is common throughout the world and COVID-19 has caused a global surge of critically ill patients. There are large gaps in the quality of care for critically ill patients, especially in low-staffed and low-resourced settings, and mortality rates are high. Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC) is the effective lifesaving care of low-cost and low-complexity that all critically ill patients should receive in all wards in all hospitals in the world. What are the new findings? The clinical processes that comprise EECC and the essential care of critically ill patients with COVID-19 have been specified in a large consensus among clinical experts worldwide. The resource requirements for hospitals to be ready to provide this care has been described. What do the new findings imply? The findings can be used across medical specialties in hospitals worldwide to prioritise and implement essential care for reducing preventable deaths. Inclusion of the EEEC processes could increase the impact of pandemic preparedness and response programmes and policies for health systems strengthening.