Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA) to support IMTD 2009 – the first ever conference and exhibition in Canada
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â??India:  Medical Tourism Destination 2009â?, to be held in Toronto, from November 20th to  22nd 2009, at the prestigious Metro Toronto Convention Centre will showcase the best of Indian healthcare in Canada. The speakers at the IMTD Conference are leading lights from Indian Hospitals, Wellness services providers, Government and medical tourism facilitators.

The phenomenon now popularly known as Medical Tourism is often cited as the next big opportunity for India after the IT outsourcing to earn billions of dollars in forex earnings and create jobs in the healthcare sector. So far only a select group of Indian hospitals have been making valiant attempts to market their services in international arena. More than a million overseas patients already treated at top Indian corporate hospitals like Apollo, Fortis, Wockhardt, Max, Manipal and many others have already proved to the world that the clinical quality, technology and cost proposition offered by India is unmatched. The capacity in super specialty segment Indian hospitals is expanding fast and there is no waiting period for local or overseas patients.

Indian Medical Travel Association, the Embassy of India in Canada, Ministry of Tourism and Surgical Tourism, Canada  have joined hands to hold this  first ever specialized trade show in Canada to promote Medical Value Travel to India.

Canada as a market for promoting medical tourism to India holds great potential. It has socialised system of healthcare delivery that is under  strain and waiting lists are growing. The patients who do not wish to wait and are generally affluent have started to explore overseas treatment options.

A surgical wait list of large 850,000 Canadians , points towards the need for this conference. Canadians tired of waiting are encouraged to visit and learn about their multitude of options beyond the realms of 100% public health insurance. 

The sponsors and exhibitors will get the opportunity to meet Canadians  looking for medical and surgical services outside Canada, Provincial Health Authorities, Insurance companies, travel and tour operators, legal entities, medical information management companies, hospital administrators and medical tourism facilitators.

There is a large population of Indian origin in Canada dominated by North Indians, who are also likely to visit this trade show and therefore IMTD 2009, a unique opportunity for Indian Healthcare providers and medical tourism stakeholders to raise the level of awareness about what India has to offer.

As part of the Expo a series of workshops would held on 20th November, 2009 where a number of pioneers and leaders from the Indian Healthcare sector would speak and also participate in a round table with  Consulate General of India in Toronto, and  senior officials from the Ministry of Health, Ontario.

About Indian Medical Travel Association. www.indianmedicaltravelassociation.com

A non profit body aimed at preparing India for facing the challenges of global competition in Medical Tourism space and actualise the tremendous opportunity for India to become a leading global healthcare destination. IMTA’s membership has a diverse base of India’s leading JCI, NABH accredited hospitals, Indian System of Medicine and Wellness service providers, travel industry, Insurance, Assistance and Medical Tourism facilitation companies.

Medical

IMTD 2009 – Indian Hospitals promote medical tourism in Canada
Medical

The event has evinced unprecedented response from the Indian Government, India’s Ministry of Tourism,  Consulate General Of India in Toronto,  Indo Canadian Chambers of Commerce have extended support to this first ever major medical tourism expo outside India that will showcase the best of Indian healthcare in Canada.

The speakers at the IMTD Conference are leading lights from India and Canada led by Dr Narottam Puri, President –Medical Strategy & Quality, Fortis Escorts Hospitals Group,  Ms. Lisa Purdy, Practice Head, Deloitte, Canada , Dr Sajan Hegde, Apollo Hospitals, Dr K Ravindranath, Chairman Global Hospitals, Ms. Ann Kaplan, President & CEO, Medicard Finance, Dr Vasanthi  Srinivasan, Director, Health System Planning & Research, Ontario Ministry of Health and Mr Pradeep Thukral, Executive Director, Indian Medical Travel Association (IMTA).

Mrs Preeti Saran, Consulate General of India, Toronto is hosting a special business networking breakfast meeting to kick off the IMTD 2009 www.imtd2009.com where leading business and healthcare leaders from Canada and India will deliberate on ““Developing synergies between India and Canada in the Healthcare sector”

Indian Medical Travel Association, the Embassy of India in Canada, Ministry of Tourism and Surgical Tourism, Canada  have joined hands to hold this  first ever specialized trade show in Canada to promote Medical Value Travel to India.

The Indian Ministry of Tourism which has launched a highly successful “Incredible India” campaign to promote India, has approved participation in IMTD 2009 by JCI and NABH accredited Indian hospitals and other eligible medical travel facilitators under its MDA – Market development Assistance Scheme. This implies that the participating hospitals would be able to get financial support for a major part of  the promotional expenses under the MDA scheme from the Ministry of Tourism.

The Indian Consulate General and the Regional Tourism Offices of the Government of India based in Toronto are also actively supporting IMTD2009 as an important landmark marketing event where for the first time a large number of Indian Medical Tourism players will join hands to enhance awareness of the high quality of  medical care available in India at a fraction of the cost in the Western world.

Canada as a market for promoting medical tourism to India holds great potential. It has socialised system of healthcare delivery that is under  strain and waiting lists are growing.  A surgical wait list of large 850,000 Canadians , points towards the need for this conference. Canadians tired of waiting are now open to visit and learn about their multitude of options beyond the realms of  the public health system.   There is a large population of Indian origin in Canada  who are also likely to visit this trade show. IMTD 2009 also provides a unique opportunity to Healthcare industry player both in Canada and India to explore business avenues for collaboration.

The visitors and delegates to IMTD 2009  are expected to be a large number of  Canadians  looking for medical and surgical services,  Provincial Health Authorities, Insurance companies, travel and tour operators, legal entities, medical information management companies, hospital administrators and medical tourism facilitators.

About Indian Medical Travel Association. www.indianmedicaltravelassociation.com

A non profit body aimed at preparing India for facing the challenges of global competition in Medical Tourism space and actualise the tremendous opportunity for India to become a leading global healthcare destination. IMTA’s membership has a diverse base of India’s leading JCI, NABH accredited hospitals, Indian System of Medicine and Wellness service providers, travel industry, Insurance, Assistance and Medical Tourism facilitation companies.

Medical

With costs so peaky for some non-prescription and prescription meds it’s no surprise that more and more folks are searching where to purchase cut-price meds from Canada. The fact is that their costs are pretty unthinkable. We could do massive economies on essentially whole medications by buying from Canadian pharmacies.

Determining where to purchase could be as easy as doing an explored on a web site like Google for your needed medications. But the trouble with this is that occasionally we’ll discover sites that are less than authorized. It’s really much finer to look at either cost comparison portals or to acquire a direct testimonial from a co-worker or friend. In this manner we will be ascertained that what we will purchase will represent an authentic product from a licensed pharmacy. Nowadays, you are able to buy drugs online at numerous online shops easily.

There are quite a number of assorted pharmacies operating online shops at nowadays so we do get a number of alternatives open to us. Just compare the costs and the various ordering procedures to assure exactly what might be the best choice. Each bears it is own manner of processing prescribes so we require to ensure both who has the better costs as well as who brands the purchasing process the most appropriate for us as well.

It’s never complex though. It is really easy to prescribe and the economies bring in the time spent committing the prescribed more than justified. Just assure that if it’s for a prescription medicine to be occupied that you are able to either fax or post in the copy that they demand for. Then you’ll be able to get the medications as presently as likely instead of getting a long delay. Millions of Americans right away seem to purchase inexpensive meds from Canada as the costs really are quite particular.

Do you want to become a nurse in Canada? Did you graduate and work as a registered nurse in another country? The Canadian immigration doors are open to professionals particularly nurses who want to work in Canada.

Why would you want to become a nurse in Canada?

You can expect to earn an hourly wage between $25 and $35 depending on your level of experience and the province you work in. The Canadian health care system is publicly funded which means that all hospitals are publicly administered. You will receive the same salary no matter what hospital you work in because nurses are represented by provincial labor unions. There may be some variation in pay between provinces but there is a great deal of parity across the country in registered nurse salaries because of the labor unions. Besides the reasonable wages there are also employer paid benefits that have been negotiated by the labor unions including vacation time, sick time, education leave, health insurance, and pension plans. Canadian immigration has a program for skilled workers that includes nurses. If you have one year of experience as a registered nurse in your own country you can enter through this program. If you do not have any experience in nursing you may have to enter Canada through the regular immigration process or through the provincial nominee program. You will never be short of work. There are over 250,000 registered nurses in Canada and yet there is still an ongoing nursing shortage. Presently that shortage is estimated at 78,000 registered nurses and is predicted to rise to over 110,000 by the year 2010.

Providing that the Canadian immigration rules, policies, and working visa requirements are met you must follow the correct procedure to become a nurse in Canada. With the exception of providing proof of language proficiency this procedure is the same for all applicants even those educated in Canada.

Apply for your registration.

contact the provincial licensing body for registered nurses (or licensed practical nurses). Be prepared to pay a fee for your application. submit all the documentation that supports your education, experience, and immigrant status. provide proof of English language fluency. This includes both reading, writing, and speaking. Many provincial licensing bodies are now using theCanadian English Language Benchmark Assessment for Nurses. Some provinces will require this condition to be met before they accept your application for registration. submit proof of a clear criminal records check. You can expect to pay another fee for this. The police run a background check through a database to make sure that you do not have a criminal record.

Write and Pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam

Once all your documentation is reviewed and accepted as “equivalent” you will be given permission to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam or the Canadian Registered Practical Nurse Exam. Which exam you write will depend on what type of nursing license you are seeking and what you qualify for. All provinces have separate nursing regulatory bodies for registered nursing and licensed practical nursing except in Ontario where all nurses are under the same regulatory association.

Substantially Equivalent Competency Assessment

The number of internationally educated nurses who want to become a nurse in Canada is increasing every year and there have been some instances where nurses were entering the system unprepared for the real job of a registered nurse in Canada. Because of the variations in Education for nurses around the globe reviewing educational preparation and documentation turned out to not be a good predictor of success in the workplace in all cases. As a result a new evaluation has emerged called the Substantially Equivalent Competency assessment or SEC.

This is an evaluation that uses both a written test and an observation of your applied clinical skills using simulated nursing situations for the Canadian health care system.

The SEC evaluations are being done mostly in the western provinces. You may be required to undergo an SEC if your paperwork is not sufficient to support an equivalent education or experience as would be required of a registered nurse in Canada. This often happens when a nurse graduated in another country some time ago and has many years of experience but cannot produce the complete educational documentation to support the application.

When your application to write the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam is complete there may be a waiting period because the exam is only offered every four months. However, you may be allowed to work during that time under a temporary nursing license provided all other requirements have been met. You must however, have an employer willing to hire you under a temporary permit and if you do not pass the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam your temporary permit will be revoked.

Many internationally educated nurses are successful in obtaining their nursing license in Canada and the number of internationally educated nurses working in the Canadian health care system has gone up dramatically since the 1990′s. Between 2000 and 2007 approximately 20% of the candidates who wrote the Canadian Registered Nurse Exam were not educated in Canada.

Your journey to become a nurse in Canada might be lengthy so don’t give up! Being a registered nurse in the Canada health care system means having a secure well paid job that can provide you with challenge and meaning in your life, so it might just be worth it!

There are three types of nursing if you are considering nursing as a career in Canada:

Licensed Practical Nurse, LPN Registered Nurse, RN Registered Psychiatric Nurse, RPN

In Canada all nursing professions are regulated in the public interest and you must pass a licensing exam to become registered in order to practice nursing as a career.

Nursing education for each of these types of nursing has common curricular components and some specialty components. However, the length of nursing education varies and each category has a defined scope of practice.

Licensed Practical Nurse

The Licensed Practical Nurse has 1-2 years of education in a community college or private post-secondary training institute. They have a limited nursing scope of practice that is completely contained within the scope of practice of a registered nurse and cannot work with clients who are complex or require multiple interventions.

In Ontario and some other provinces they are called a Registered Practical Nurse and this is abbreviated as RPN. This can be confusing because a registered psychiatric nurse is also abbreviated as RPN in the western provinces. In many provinces LPN’s were not fully utilized for many years and the numbers of nurses practicing as a licensed practical nurse declined dramatically. Because of the pressures exerted by fiscal restraint and by the nursing shortage which is quite acute, the licensed practical nurse is now in demand again in provinces where they can legally practice.

Registered Psychiatric Nursing

Schools that prepare nurses to enter psychiatric nursing are limited to the four western provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. There are over 5,000 Registered Psychiatric Nurses registered with the 4 regulatory authorities in these provinces.

Registered Psychiatric Nursing is not recognized as a separate type of nursing in the eastern provinces so that might be why they call practical nurses RPN’s (Registered Practical Nurses). This term cannot be used in the western provinces because it already used for psychiatric nurses.

The association of Registered Psychiatric Nurses of Canada recommends that the minimum requirement for initial registrants for entry to practice into the profession of psychiatric nursing should be a baccalaureate degree by the year 2012.

On the Registered Psychiatric Nurses Association of Canada website there are 7 education programs listed for psychiatric nursing in all of Canada. There is no legally recognized classification of Psychiatric Technician in Canada. You may see this as a one of the different types of nursing in other countries such as the United States but it is not a recognized type of nursing in Canada.

Registered Nursing

Of the three types of nursing, registered nursing (the RN) is the most common type. It is typically the registered nurse that people think of when they think of the nursing profession. Registered nursing has the broadest nursing scope of practice.

There are no hospital based schools of nursing in Canada. A university education is required. Some colleges have partnered with universities and students can enter a nursing program where the first two years are offered in the college setting and then complete the nursing degree at the university.

Most provinces have registered nurse education programs that are 4 years in length ( 8-9 semesters) but some provinces are now implementing a three year program (9 semesters) as an accelerated program in order to bring more nurses into the Canadian health care system more quickly.

One province in Canada (British Columbia) is responding to increased pressures on the Canadian health care system by broadening the scope of practice of the registered nurse to include some tasks that were previously out of scope.

When these new regulations are put in place, under certain circumstances the registered nurse will be able to provide a broader range of services than that provided by the current regulations including:

ordering ultrasound or X-ray diagnostics (in triage situations) conducting tuberculosis screening managing labor in hospital when the primary care provider is absent

These changes recognize the current education and skills of the registered nurse. However, the changes are specific to British Columbia as the nursing profession in Canada is regulated provincially. It is quite possible and quite likely however, that other provinces will follow suit.