A WORLD – CLASS RESPIRATORY CARE FORUM

Indian Association of Respiratory Care

The Indian Association of Respiratory Care (IARC) is an organization for the young and dynamic Respiratory Therapists in and around India. Respiratory therapy is an allied medical specialty concerned with the evaluation and treatment of patients who have breathing problems. The fully organized respiratory course was started in India in 1995. The training imparted is similar to that of their counterparts in the USA. Respiratory therapists (RT) are in demand in hospitals and hospital-related organisations to provide direct patient care to those with acute and chronic respiratory problems. The field of respiratory therapy is growing rapidly. Diagnosis and management of adult respiratory disorders needing intensive care, neonatal and paediatric intensive care, pulmonary function testing, pulmonary rehabilitation, teaching and research opportunities are areas that offer opportunities to the respiratory therapist for professional growth and personal satisfaction.

The Association of Respiratory Care, India (ARCI) was founded in 2006 by Dr Vijai Kumar, from Yashoda Hospital, Hyderabad (the founder President) along with Dr D J Christopher, Professor and Head, Pulmonology department at Christian medical College, Vellore and Dr Vijayalakshmi Thansekaran, Professor and Head of Pulmonology, Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Research Institute, Porur, Chennai, to promote these young professionals to build their knowledge, strength and enthusiasm of their various activities. It is the Indian counterpart of the American Association of Respiratory Care (AARC). It has been dedicated to enhancing the RT’s performance on their job, and helping them broaden the scope of knowledge essential to their success. This Association later changed its name to Indian Association of Respiratory Care (IARC) in 2011) for legal purposes. The association functions as an organized voice for Respiratory Therapist in continuing medical education and critical care updates. With more than 1500 members nationwide as well as abroad, the IARC is the only professional society for respiratory therapists in India. It focuses on respiratory care professionals in hospitals and with home care companies, managers of respiratory and cardiopulmonary services, and educators who provide respiratory care training.

The association has a strong advisory board which includes professional and pioneers such as Anaesthesiologists, Pulmonologists, Medicines, Intensivist, Cardiologists and Paediatricians.

The IARC organization has intended on carrying out respiratory care activities and agenda along with educational activities. The organization has come a long way indeed and has gained momentum in membership, activities and collaborative programs all with the target of improving respiratory health care in the nation.

As part of the aim of the association in uniting and standardizing the profession nationwide, it organises national conferences annually. Over the years the conference is conducted by different institutes across states. The annual conference of the IARC is named as “RESCARE”.

The Indian Journal of Respiratory Care (IJRC), the official journal of Indian Association of Respiratory Care (IARC) is a journal, first of its kind, catering to the academic and publishing needs of respiratory therapists and all health care personnel dealing with respiratory care including pulmonologists, intensivists, anaesthesiologists, physicians, physiotherapists and critical care nurses. The journal was launched in January 2012 and is published twice a year, January and July.