NEW YORK (TIP): During a historic Press Conference with nearly two dozen media persons from the electronic, print and visual media in attendance at the Indian Consulate in New York on a rainy Sunday evening, September 29, 2024 Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) shared about his vision for AAPI under his leadership and about AAPI’s contributions to India and the United states during the past 43 years.

Dr. Kathula urged the media to be the link and a channel between AAPI and the larger community in sharing AAPI’s message and about the noble initiatives that benefit the Indian American community and the people back home in India. Expressing his gratitude to the media persons for their presence today and for the support they have provided over the past several decades to AAPI, Dr. Kathula urged their ongoing support “to help to get the message out, in reaching out to the general public here, the Indian diaspora and in India, especially for providing health education on preventive measures.

Dr. Kathula along with Dr. Hetal Gor, a member of the AAPI Board of Trustees, briefed the media on AAPI’s ongoing activities in the United States and India, and highlighted the upcoming Global Health Summit in New Delhi, scheduled for October 19th to 20th. This summit aims to bring together healthcare professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders to address the prevention of cancer and heart attacks in the Indian population with lifestyle modification and technology.

Dr. Kathula invited all the AAPI members to attend the next edition of AAPI’s annual Global Health Summit this October in New Delhi, with a focus on preventing cancer and heart attacks through lifestyle changes and technological advancements. AAPI has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the President of India Honorable Droupadi Murmu to be the Honored Guests at GHS 2024 and to address the hundreds of AAPI delegates at the Summit. Hon. Health Minister J.P. Nadda has been invited and he has agreed to meet with AAPI delegates to formally to discuss the healthcare issues especially the prevention aspect of cancer and Heart attacks in India.

AAPI is planning to organize bone marrow drives across the nation, as the donor pool among South Asians is very limited, Dr. Kathula said. “So, we are trying to recruit potential donors in the stem cell or bone marrow transplant donations. Because people are getting affected by lymphomas and leukemias, and they need transplant. Since they do not get the matched donors in this country, we are trying to increase that pool,” he added.

As the President of AAPI, the largest ethnic medical organization, representing the interests of over 120,000 physicians of Indian origin, Dr. Kathula said, AAPI is also launching a program called “Million Miles of Gratitude,” to honor veterans by promoting physical activity, he said. Participants can log their walking or running miles, with each mile serving as a tribute to the veterans. The goal is to collectively reach a million miles in the coming year.

According to Dr. Kathula, AAPI is planning to introduce heart screenings for the Indian American community, as they are at higher risk of experiencing heart attacks at a younger age, and that this initiative will focus on prevention and early detection.

Earlier during the day, AAPI organized AAPI Leadership Retreat at the Indian Consulate in New York City and was graced by the presence of Consul General Binay Srikanta Pradhan. The panel included several distinguished figures from various fields, including Dr. Sanjeev Kaul, Chief of Trauma; Sudeep Kapur, a magistrate; Manee Kamboji, owner of a highly successful IT company; Natalie McKenzie, a health and fitness coach and podcaster; Jyoti Soni, a catering and wedding planner with over three decades of experience in the culinary industry; and Dr. Satheesh Kathula, President of AAPI. The session was expertly moderated by Dr. Hetal Gor.

Consul General, Binaya Srikanta Pradhan, in his address highlighted his long association with AAPI from his past interactions with AAPI members. Highlighting the recent meetings India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi had with top CEOs from the United States during his recent visit, Pradhan emphasized that India’s potential is “not only appreciated by the ordinary people of the United States, but even by the industry, and that’s probably the reason why all these industry entities are now present in India in a much bigger way. So, it’s going to be leading to bigger investment back within India.”

Pradhan lauded the contributions of “a strong Indian Association of Doctors, AAPI. We feel so lucky that we have their strong presence, of this fraternity in this country. And I’m sure, going forward, you are going to be an anchor. You will be bringing the relationship between India and the United States much closer, especially in the healthcare sector.”

Pradhan told AAPI that “My expectation, my request has been that, this is the time for you to rethink about how you contribute back home in India. I know all of you, individually and collectively, you do a lot of good work back home in India. The economy of India is undergoing a massive transformation today. The Indian people are not looking for help in meeting their basic needs, but would expect a strong Association like yours to help them to touch their aspirations. You have access to the best of the medical technologies in this country. You can think about what you can do to touch the aspirations of the people, by using the technology, and reach a much larger number of people in India.”

AAPI is a forum to facilitate and enable Indian American Physicians to excel in patient care, teaching and research, and to pursue their aspirations in professional and community affairs. For more information on AAPI and its many programs, please visit: www.aapiusa.org
(Based on a press release)