NEW DELHI / NEW YORK (TIP): “After the highly successful Global Healthcare Summit in Visakhapatnam last weekend, I am happy to announce that the 17th annual Global Healthcare Summit will be held in New Delhi from January 2nd to 4th, 2024,” Dr. Anjana Samadder, President-Elect of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) announced here during a Curtain Raiser held at the prestigious Constitution Club in New Delhi on January 9th, 2023.
Organized under the leadership of Dr. Udaya Shivangi, Women’s Forum Chair of AAPI, the kickoff event and press conference was attended by nearly 50 journalists from the nation’s capital and several leaders of APPI, who had come all the way from the United States to be part of this important ceremony. Prominent among those who attended the event included Dr. Seema Arora, past BOT Chair of AAPI, Dr. Raghu Lolabhattu, vice chair of AAPI BOT, Dr. Gautam Samadder, past president of AAPI, Dr. Sreeni Gangasani, Dr. Amit Chakrabarty, Dr. Raj Bhayani, and Dr. Joseph Chalil. Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Chair of AAPI’s Legislative Chair joined the meeting through a message of felicitation sent to the media and AAPI leadership.
In her address, Dr. Anjana Samadder said, the theme for the next global healthcare summit will be “Maa Bachao,” meaning, protecting the mother, which will be a great way to strengthen families and humanity as a whole.
Dr. Sushi Singh, chief guest at the event said, saving the mother and giving her due respect and honor is essential today more than ever. She pointed to the high infant mortality rate in India and urged all sections of society to work together to save girl children.
Shri Karthikeyan, a decorated former IPS Officer, in his keynote address, shared of the many sacrifices and contributions by the fraternity of doctors, and lauded them for their services to humanity, especially during the covid pandemic. He shared with the audience his personal experiences working with the most vulnerable people across society and urged everyone to work compassionately towards the poor and help uplift their lives.
In a message, Dr. Ravi Kolli, president of AAPI said, “The Global Healthcare Summit held annually in India across several states, has become a major contributing factor, where Indian American Doctors focus on various programs and policies in their efforts to make a huge difference in the delivery of healthcare in India.”
“Coming from a nation that has given us so much, today Physicians of Indian origin have become a powerful influence in healthcare across the world,” said Dr. Shivangi. “Nowhere in the world is their authority more keenly felt than in the United States. The overrepresentation of Indians in the field of medicine is striking – in practical terms, one out of seven doctors in the United States is of Indian Heritage. We provide medical care to over 40 million of the US population.”
During an interactive session with the media persons who had filled the meeting venue, the leaders of AAPI shared with them of the numerous initiatives taken up by AAPI during the course of the past four decades in India as well as in the United States.
“We the physicians of Indian origin are proud of our great achievements and contributions to our motherland, India, our adopted land, the US, and in a very significant way to the transformation of Indo-US relations and help India to have a cost-effective, efficient and advanced healthcare delivery benefitting India’s 1.4 billion people,” they pointed out.
The Global Health Summit held annually in India has been a major contributing factor by Indian American Doctors, focusing on various programs and policies, and making a difference in the delivery of healthcare in India.
In addition to educational seminars/workshops on current topics, the GHS includes a well-organized CEO forum with a panel of eminent healthcare leaders from the US and India, reinforcing the need for preventive care rather than disease management, to control the non-communicable diseases which are the biggest silent killers.
Areas of ongoing skill training, investment in infrastructure, modernizing healthcare delivery, and private-public collaboration specific to each state in the healthcare sector are discussed and specific plans laid out, which are sent in a White Paper report for follow up in the coming months.
Over the past 17 years and beyond, AAPI leadership has been able to establish Collaboration and multiple medical organizations – ACP – FSMB – ECFMG – NMC (India) – IMA (India) – GAPIO – UNICEF – Red Cross Society – CWC – Lifestyle Medicine – MDTok – Apollo Groups, only to name a few. These connections and collaborations are vital for us to stay connected and make a powerful impact on our communities.
Through AAPI’s charitable activities with service to our motherland as the motto, AAPI has several programs in India and the United States. Despite the Covid challenges of Delta and Omicron waves, in spite of limited resources, AAPI blood donation drives were done in several cities with several of them organizing multiple events.
Among several other initiatives, AAPI’s “Adopt a village” Rural Preventive Healthcare Screening Initiative in India, where free health screening camps with free physician consultations were done in several Indian rural villages in the middle of Covid pandemic.
Continuing the efforts towards the Covid-19 Fund – Post-Covid Relief Activities, AAPI has raised over $5 million during the delta wave in India. The ongoing Covid-19 relief work in India is in progress, donating lifesaving equipment to support critically ill patients – Biochemical Analyzers, Ventilators, Oxygen Flow Meters, and Oxygen Plants. The funds will continue to support Covid patients in rural hospitals. Since its inception 40 years ago, AAPI has served as a link to foster stronger US-India relations and has been lauded by the governments of both nations for their great achievements and contributions.
“We urge you to be part of this event in January 2024 and help create awareness and reach our services to the neediest in India and the United States,” said Dr. Anjana Samadder. For more details about AAPI and its many noble initiatives, please visit: www.aapiusa.org