officially launched in India in a press re-lease before a news conference team at the Grand Intercontinental Hotel in New Delhi, with the Minister for Health, Fam-ily Welfare and Social Welfare, Dr. Yoga Nand Shastri, as the guest speaker. The event was a success, announcing chiro-practic as an established form of health care that was now available in India. OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES Since its inception, the IACD has held charitable dispensaries at many events in India. Through these, and continu-ing missions carried out by a number of DCs, chiropractic care is increasingly be-ing provided to the masses in need. The IACD will be assisting in this growth as well as overseeing the development of fu-ture chiropractic education and training programs in India. The organization also plans on working to attract the many In-dians in Canada to reconnect with their own roots, and to come help establish chiropractic as a mainstream health-care profession in India. The IACD is also in talks to develop and assist in starting the first accredited chiropractic program in a university in India. The IACD board and membership currently consists of Canadian, Ameri-can, and Australian chiropractors as well as medical doctors from Canada and the U.S. who believe that there is a need for chiropractic in India. Along with these, the IACD is also working with very prominent surgeons in India who are pushing to expedite legislation for the profession there. But, of course, bringing chiropractic to India has not been without challeng-es. The public lacks awareness with respect to the chiropractic profession. As well, there are some therapists who say they can perform “chiropractic” but have had inadequate or no train-ing. This has resulted in confusion and misrepresentation of what chiroprac-tic is about. Fortunately, and with the assistance of the medical board and government authorities, the IACD has been able to shut down the clinics of therapists who, after taking a week-end course, or viewing videos about adjusting online, call themselves chi-ropractors. As well, the IACD wishes to record the presence and actions of all legitimate chiropractors who prac-tise in India, in order to promote the profession to the government while protecting the DCs and ensuring safe care is offered to all patients. HOW YOU CAN HELP Given the challenges already faced in trying to establish chiropractic in another country, the IACD encour-ages all DCs and students who wish to undertake mission trips to India to register prior to embarking on their trip. By endorsing and recording the progress of legitimate chiropractors, the IACD will be able to enhance the credibility of the profession to the government and health-care authori-ties, thus ensuring that the legisla-tion process proceeds smoothly. But also, if the IACD is not made aware of a chiropractic mission trip – and, especially if a complaint is lodged – the IACD will be unable to promote and/or protect the doctors and stu-dents who are involved. By inform-ing the IACD of your plans for a chi-ropractic mission trip in India, you can assist in keeping the legislation process intact, and ensure that DCs are protected and that patients are safe. To contact the IACD, please e-mail [email protected]. • Providing Sewa to Those in Need – One DC’s Mission to India by preetkamal randhawa, dC, member iaCd My wife and I had the pleasure of visit-ing India from March 3 to 18, and for four days during our trip, we had the opportunity to provide chiropractic care to the needy who could not afford quality health care of any sort. We had been invited by the Guru Nanak Mis-sion Hospital administration, a chari-table hospital in the city of Jalandhar, Punjab. The hospital had issued press releases in the local newspaper weeks in advance of our arrival and the re-sponse was tremendous. DAY 1 On our first day, the intent was to do as many consultations as we could, making sure that we understood the patients’ situations, and explain to them exactly what we do and how it could help them. We saw many dif-ferent cases, and a lot of the patients 34 • Canadian ChiropraCtor | September 2011 Dr. Preetkamal Randhawa adjusting a patient at Guru Nanak Mission Hospital in Jalandhar, Punjab. www.canadianchiropractor.ca
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