Indian doctors in US partner for Kerala health meet

After the Emerging Kerala business meet, a global health summit has been planned in Kochi in January as a joint initiative of state and central agencies and association of Indian doctors in the United States.

Worrisome health issues, including cancer, heart ailments, mental health and mother and child care will take centre-stage at the event to be held from January 1 to 3, its organisers said on Wednesday.

Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi and Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy will address various sessions of the meet.

A joint initiative of Overseas India Conclave of Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in partnership Government of India, the meet is aimed at advancing the accessibility, affordability and quality of world—class healthcare by focussing on prevention, diagnosis and treatment options, Dr R. Narendra Kumar, President, AAPI, said.

“Indian doctors have made tremendous progress in the 21st century and India is now being projected as a medical tourism hub. This entails additional investment in health infrastructure,” Dr Kumar said.

The meet would explore possibilities of greater ties between physicians and healthcare providers based in the country and doctors of Indian origin in other parts of the world, he said.

More than 1,000 participants from different countries were expected to attend the event, which would have plenary sessions, interactive roundtables, clinical practice workshops, and meet-the-expert sessions.

A host of opinion leaders and expert speakers, including Dr Jeremy Lazarus, President, American Medical Association, Chicago; Dr Chittaranjan Ranawat, Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Cornell University, New York and Dr Prathap C. Reddy, Chairman, Apollo Group of Hospitals, would speak on various healthcare issues.

The meet would also host a CEO Forum in which heads of hospitals, teaching institutions and pharmaceutical and medical devices companies would sit together to explore potential opportunities for collaboration.

Healthcare and professional associations like Indian Medical Association (IMA), Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO), Association of Kerala Medical Graduates USA (AKMG); Trivandrum Medical College Alumni Association (TMC Alumni Association) and India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians had pledged support to the event.