Governor Inaugurates AAPI’s Global Healthcare Summit

Governor Inaugurates AAPI’s Global Healthcare Summit

Maharashtra Governor C. Vidyasagar Rao inaugurated the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin’s 9th annual Global Healthcare Summit at the Trident Hotel in Nariman Point, Mumbai Jan. 2, saying he was “proud” of the Indian American organization’s efforts to unite the world through its “dedication, skills and contributions in the healthcare field.”

AAPI president Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, former chief secretary of the Maharashtra government Dr. Jayant Banthia, AAPI president-elect Dr. Seema Jain, vice president Dr. Ajay Lodha, secretary Dr. Gautam Samadder, treasurer Dr. Naresh Parikh, and chairman of the AAPI Board of Trustees Dr. Ajeet Singhvi joined the governor in a traditional lamp-lighting ceremony to open the summit, which saw the attendance of hundreds of delegates from India and around the world.

Rao, in his inaugural address, lauded the contributions and achievements of Indian American physicians in healthcare in the United States, as well as their love for their motherland, which he said has led them to make a positive difference in India’s healthcare delivery system.

“Mumbai is very proud to host the ninth edition of the Global Healthcare Summit,” the governor said.

Introducing the summit, Jahagirdar said in his welcome address, “The Global Healthcare Summit held annually in India — in partnership with the Indian Medical Association and the Medical Council of India, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health and Overseas Indian Affairs — has come to be recognized for the many initiatives it has given birth to and the numerous joint recommendations of the standard of care for major diseases affecting the people of India,” he said.

Pointing out the pioneering nature of the summit, Jahagirdar added, “Past summits have identified areas of mutual interest and also integrated advancements of healthcare facilities in India, besides ways and means of tackling long-term concerns, leading to long-term collaborations.”

GHS 2015 was held in association with over 10 professional organizations from all over the world and marked the first time that sessions were streamed live using webcasting technology, enabling healthcare professionals across the country to watch them.

Jahagirdar, outlining the message and theme of the summit, said, “AAPI has a mandate to help disseminate our medical knowledge, our expertise and technological advances to the rest of the world, and to India in particular.”

This year’s conference included educational and training programs in areas that need special attention, such as cardiology, maternal and child health, diabetes, oncology, surgery, mental health, HIT, allergy, immunology, lung health, gastroenterology, transplant and impact of co-morbidities. The summit also aimed to help establish India-centric guidelines for the management of head injury and trauma.

Rao lamented the scarcity of trained physicians working in tribal regions, such as the remote villages of Maharashtra. He also urged the global delegates to explore ways to make healthcare women-centric — which in turn would help reduce maternal mortality — and to focus on the prevention and treatment of diabetes in India.