National president of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) G. Samaram on Wednesday said he would strive to ensure a bigger role for the association in policy matters related to public health.
Addressing a meeting organised here to felicitate him on his unanimous election to the coveted post, Dr. Samaram pointed out that the IMA did not have a say in the policy-formulation and he would make earnest efforts in this direction.
While the theme of the year for IMA was ‘Be in health – Be active in public health’, he would mainly focus on strengthening of the organisation and its financial position, betterment of medical fraternity, of medical education and of public health during his tenure.
Dr. Samaram said during the recent IMA conference, he had sought financial aid from medical practitioners of Indian origin serving abroad for extension of medical facilities on a large-scale like detection of breast cancer in women and administration of rubella vaccine to adolescent girls.
The response from the other side was ‘very encouraging’. Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad too had assured all help to the IMA to reach its goals.
Dr. Samaram also spoke about the need to set up medical colleges in economically backward states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Chattisgarh.
Registrar of Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences T. Venugopala Rao suggested that Dr. Samaram use his good offices to seek more teeth for IMA in policy matters of medical and health related issues.
Mayor M.V. Ratna Bindu, IMA national coordinator N. Apparao, Director of All India Radio, Vijayawada Mangalagiri Aditya Prasad, president of Andhra Chamber of Commerce M. Rajaiah, president of Vijayawada Chamber of Commerce Gaddam Subbarao, district governor of Lions Club V. Bhaskar Rao and former MP Chennupati Vidya also spoke.
Noted psychiatrist Indla Ramasubba Reddy presided over the function, vice-president of International Vasavi Clubs V. Hazarataiah Gupta presented a citation done by him to Dr. Samaram.
Director General of Dr. Pinnamaneni Siddhartha Institute of Medical Sciences C. Nageswara Rao coordinated the function.
