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Respiratory Therapist

Healthcare

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are the specialists who manage every aspect of a patient's breathing — from ventilator setup and weaning protocols in an ICU to pulmonary function testing in an outpatient clinic and aerosol therapy on a paediatric ward. In India, the profession grew out of cardio-pulmonary technology programmes in the 1980s and accelerated sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic when ICU ventilator load exposed a critical shortage of trained RT staff. The primary qualification is a B.Sc. Respiratory Therapy (3–4 years) or B.Sc. Cardio-Pulmonary Technology, with premier training at CMC Vellore, AIIMS Delhi, Manipal College of Allied Health Sciences, Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (SRIHER Chennai), and PGIMER Chandigarh. A 2-year M.Sc. Respiratory Therapy or an M.Sc. Critical Care Technology deepens clinical and research competency. Day-to-day practice spans critical-care ICU management (invasive and non-invasive ventilation, arterial blood gas interpretation, ventilator weaning), pulmonary rehabilitation post-cardiac surgery or post-COVID, bronchoscopy assist, neonatal NICU CPAP/HFNC management, pulmonary function laboratory operations, and patient/family education on inhaler technique and home oxygen therapy. Major employers are Apollo, Fortis, Medanta, Narayana Health, Max Healthcare, AIIMS centres, JIPMER, PGIMER, KGMU, and the growing network of Ayushman Bharat empanelled corporate hospitals. Post-COVID, standalone pulmonary rehabilitation centres and home-care ventilator service providers have become a new employment segment. The profession sits at the intersection of ICU critical care and ambulatory pulmonary medicine — making RTs simultaneously front-line emergency responders and long-term chronic-disease managers.