Media Release
Mangaluru, Oct 5: The 19th National Conference of the Indian Association of Respiratory Care (IARC) – RESCARE’26 was successfully hosted by the unit of respiratory therapy, YSAHS, Yenepoya (Deemed to be University), from October 2 – 4.
Nine parallel hands-on workshops covered advanced mechanical ventilation, neonatal and paediatric ventilation, OSCE-based assessment, research methodology, POCUS lung ultrasound, sleep diagnostics, emergency airway rescue, ventilator troubleshooting and integrated respiratory examination, with 200+ participants from across India.
The formal inaugural ceremony was held on October 3 at the Yendurance Zone, graced by Dr Vijai Kumar Ratnavelu, chief guest, Dr Prakash R M Saldanha, guest of honour, IARC office bearers and other dignitaries. Dr Sunita Saldanha, dean, Yenepoya Allied and Health Professions, delivered the concluding address as the organizing chair. The ceremony also featured the Padma Shri Dr K M Cherian Luminary Award announcement in the presence of Dr Sandhya Cherian and the announcement of the FIARC awards, with Kavya Shettigar and Anjali Kotian being recognized for their contributions to respiratory therapy.
The conference featured contemporary topics including AI and precision medicine, digital sleep medicine, automated weaning, digital PFT, electrical impedance tomography and ECMO, along with oral presentations, e-posters, case presentations and a quiz.
A total of 344 registrations, including 16 international delegates, represented around 15 institutions from India and abroad. The conference was supported by 10 industry partners, facilitating technology exposure, hands-on learning and academia–industry collaboration.
Participant feedback was overwhelmingly positive, particularly highlighting the scientific programme, practical orientation, variety of workshops, organization and meaningful academic interactions.
RESCARE’26 successfully brought together educators, clinicians, researchers, students and industry partners for knowledge exchange, collaboration and professional development, while proudly celebrating 10 years of Respiratory Therapy education at Yenepoya.