NEW YORK CITY (TIP): New York City Mayor Eric Adams inaugurated the first ever World Health Congress of Physicians, a Maga Convention of physicians of Indian Origin with the cutting of the Ribbon and a powerful and memorable inaugural address at the Marriott Marquis on Times Square in New York City on July 18th, 2024.
In his brief inaugural address, Adams lauded the contributions of Indian American physicians across the United States, especially during the Covid pandemic. “When you look at the 1000s of physicians across the country, you walk into any hospital, the emergency rooms, especially during COVID, you were present. You were there, and you sacrificed your own health to make sure of the health of this entire country. Your contributions are so rare.”
Recalling his past visit to India, Mayor Adams said, “When I was in India, the home of Gandhi and I saw the steps, his last few steps that he took before the assassin took his life. It is our obligation and responsibility, no matter what field we are in, to ensure that we live out the dreams of Gandhi and we live out the dreams of those steps,” Adams said. “As we mark, the image of unity here, throughout the United States of America, we believe in the fundamentals and the foundation for the family. You believe in public service, and you believe in our children, and you are a real partner in doing so,” Mayor Adam told Indian American physicians.
“I want to extent a very warm welcome to AAPI delegates from around the world to first ever World Congress of Physicians, being held here from July 18th-22, 2024 in New York City, organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin (AAPI) at the prestigious Marriott Marquis on Times Square, at the heart of the most popular city in the world,” Dr. Anjana Samadder, President of AAPI said in her welcome address.
Sri Brahmrishi SiddhGuru Gurudev, embodying compassion, love, humility, and simplicity, adhering to ancient Indian spiritual practices, while bestowing his blessings on the organizers and the AAPI delegates called the Indian American Physicians “the best” in the world, because “they give their best to the world.” He lauded them for their virtues of “learning, earning and returning” that makes them stand out across the globe.
Others who addressed the audience e during the inaugural session included, Dilip Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner for Trade, Investment and Innovation, and Jenifer Rajkumar, a lawyer, professor, and government leader who made history as the first South Asian-American woman ever to be elected to a state office in New York, whom Mayor Adams praised for her contributions to the society and urged the community to support her in her efforts to be the first person of Indian origin to run for statewide office in New York.
Some of the key speakers invited to be at the Congress include Dr. Mehmet Oz, American television personality, Physician, Author, and Professor Emeritus of cardiothoracic surgery at Columbia University; Smriti Zubin Irani, an Indian politician and former actress, fashion model, and television producer. She has been Minister of Women and Child Development since 2019, and also Minister of Minority Affairs since 2022; Mansukh Laxmanbhai Mandaviya is an Indian politician currently serving as the Minister of Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers of India. He is also a Rajya Sabha member from Gujarat; Dr. Jesse Menachem Ehrenfeld, President of the American Medical Association and Professor of Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.; and, Dr. Vivek Hallegere Murthy, a vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps who has served as the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States under Presidents Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden.
“We want to welcome you to the AAPI’s inaugural World Congress of Physicians in the world’s capital city, New York,” Dr. Achintya Moulik, Chair of AAPI Convention 2024 said. “We have convened a fantastic group of dedicated organizers to meet the needs of the 2024 convention and are very excited about this year. Please reach out to any one of the representatives from the New York Tri-State team with questions or comments.”
Dr. Sumul Raval, current Secretary of AAPI, “We have an event that is full of fun-filled, research-filled, and learning-filled activities.” Outlining other features of the event, Dr. Raval said “There is something for everyone, including the younger generation, the teenagers, and children, making it a family event. “We have amazing food for all the many days — from Moghul catering from New Jersey, and many more activities throughout the five days,” Raval said.
According to the organizers, some of the major themes at the convention include Yoga and Meditation practices, a Welcome kit with books & self-care supplies, A Personal Reflexology Session, Take home wellness routine, yoga therapy sessions, a workshop on Spiritual well-being, Book talk with Yoga Gurus, including on the science of Yoga & Lifestyle medicine, and several wellness sessions.
The World Congress has, among many others, sessions on cutting-edge research and CMEs, promoting business relationships, and displaying ethnic items. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the prime focus of our World Health Congress. There will be entertainment features for children, performances by singer Atul Purohit and a comedy show by Kapil Sharma, Live entertainment by Javed Ali and Atif Aslam, Traditional Garba, Bollywood Film Festival, and a fashion show.
AAPI’s World Health Congress offers an exciting venue to interact with leading physicians, health professionals, academicians, and scientists of Indian origin. The physicians and healthcare professionals from across the country will convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of medical advances, to develop health policy agendas, and to encourage legislative priorities in the coming year.
In addition to colorful entertainment, and exquisite authentic Indian cuisine, esteemed health industry leaders, world-renowned speakers, and experts will be sharing their wisdom and expertise in the industry, offering enlightening sessions to the delegates.
Amit Chakrabarty, Vice President of AAPI said, “AAPI’s mission has evolved in the past 42 years. “Today, AAPI is strong representing over 120,000 Indian American physicians, 130 local Chapters, who make up 10% of total physicians in the US and nearly 50% of International Medical Graduates, rooted in every corner of the nation, who serve every 7th patient in the US. We are proud of our achievements and our contributions to the healthcare industry and the millions of people we serve.” “The annual convention offers extensive academic presentations, recognition of achievements and achievers, and professional networking at the alumni and evening social events,” Dr. Samadder added.
For more details on AAPI and the 1st World Congress, please visit: AAPI World Health Congress and www.aapiusa.org
(Based on a press release issued by Ajay Ghosh, Media Coordinator, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin)