a peripheral tubing framework 48 of a standard ambulance stretcher 20 its principal purpose is to support assorted pieces of equipment such as 40 42 and 208 best seen in fig2 at locations permitting the immediate and effective use of the equipment while leaving sufficient room to permit the easy transfer of a patient to or from the stretcher even when the patient 39 s torso is lifted somewhat to suit his or her particular needs of the moment in one aspect of the invention a principal portion of the apparatus is located generally above the patient and a smaller tray like portion 118 is located between the stretcher wheels and below the patient to support items temporarily placed thereon and to lower the center of gravity of the combined mass of the critical care support equipment the framework the stretcher and the patient referring now to fig4 in a preferred embodiment of the invention a principal portion of the apparatus has the form of a tubular assembly comprises of five legs 60 62 64 66 and 68 of these legs 60 and 62 form one similar pair and legs 64 and 66 form a second similar pair with both pairs being disposed symmetrically about the longitudinal axis of the stretcher 39 s tubular frame 48 these legs.