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For the purposes of this Agreement -
(a) the term “Contracting Party” means any State which has deposited an instrument of ratification;
(b) the term “legislation” means any laws, regulations and other statutory instruments which are in force at the time of signature of this Agreement or may enter into force subsequently in the whole or any part of the territory of each Contracting Party and which relate to social security schemes governing the provision of medical care, including national health services;
(c) the term “social security convention” means any bilateral or multilateral agreement by which, in the field of medical care, two or more Contracting Parties are, or may subsequently be, bound exclusively, and any multilateral agreement by which at least two Contracting Parties and one or more other States are, or may subsequently be, bound;
(d) the term “competent authority” means the minister, ministers or other corresponding authority responsible for the application of the legislation of each Contracting Party in all or any part of the territory of that Party;
(e) term “competent institution” means - (i) in relation to a social insurance scheme, the institution of the Contracting Party to which the person concerned is able to prove that he is entitled to receive medical care or would be able to prove that he is so entitled if he were in the territory of that Party;
(ii) in relation to a scheme other than a social insurance scheme, the institution designated by the competent authority of the Contracting Party in question;
(i) in relation to a social insurance scheme, the institution of the Contracting Party to which the person concerned is able to prove that he is entitled to receive medical care or would be able to prove that he is so entitled if he were in the territory of that Party;
(ii) in relation to a scheme other than a social insurance scheme, the institution designated by the competent authority of the Contracting Party in question;
(f) the term “competent State” means the Contracting Party in whose territory the competent institution is situated;
(g) the term “temporary residence” means a temporary stay in the territory of a Contracting Party other than the competent State within the limits of such period as may be prescribed by the national regulations of the first Party, should such exist;
(h) the term “institution of the place of temporary residence” means the institution empowered to provide medical care at the place where the person concerned is temporarily resident, according to the legislation of the Contracting Party which this institution applies;
(i) the term “medical care” covers medical care required in cases of accident, illness or pregnancy;
(j) the term “cases of absolute urgency” means cases where the provision of medical care or allied benefits cannot be deferred without endangering the life or health of the person concerned.