AAPI’s 16th Annual Global Health Summit Inaugurated in Visakhapatnam

AAPI LAMP LIGHTING

India Post News Service

VISAKHAPATNAM: The 16th annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) was inaugurated with a rendition of Vande Mataram and the lighting of the traditional lamp by the Chief Guest, Smt. Vidadala Rajini, Minister for Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education and several other dignitaries, AAPI leaders and local organizers of the Summit at Hotel Novotel on the seashore in Visakhapatnam on January 6th, 2023.

Attended by nearly 500 delegates from the United States and India, the GHS 2023 is being jointly organized by AAPI and the local organizing committee at Visakhapatnam from January 6th to 8th, 2023. This Global Health Care Summit, with participation from leading medical professionals, thought leaders, heads of several health industry sectors, and policy-makers assumes importance especially in the context of the waning pandemic that has shaken the entire human race and has been instrumental in helping everyone realize that the predicament is common across all the continents.

 YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, in a message delivered to the AAPI delegates at the GHS, urged the members of “the American Association of Physicians of Indian origin to give back something to the society, which has given them an opportunity to pursue medical education and become successful in India and abroad.”

Reddy expressed confidence, stating, “I’m sure this platform will bring together best in the healthcare field from professionals, who will provide innovative solutions for the challenges being faced by all.” Lauding the world-renowned specialists from the United States, who have assembled in Visakhapatnam, Reddy added, “I am informed that many specialists from the US are attending the conference, whose expertise will be very much useful since their ideas on technology and advances in various fields in solving health related issues in India. While this conference is focusing on mental health, neurology, maternal and child health, oncology, gastroenterology, neurology, cardiology, they will be very relevant to learn from the successful practices abroad.”

Chief Guest at the Summit, Smt. VidadalaRajini, Minister for Health, Family Welfare & Medical Education, said, “The Global Healthcare Summit is an important opportunity for all the healthcare professionals to learn from each other and enhance fellowship. I’m grateful to have this opportunity to attend and learn from all of you,” she said.

AAPI Meet“I believe that by working with you, we can improve the health and wellbeing of the people in the state. The government has the ability to design the best policies on healthcare, while delivering the best of the patient’s treatment eventually falls into the hands of the physicians.” She praised AAPI delegates for their “dedication and passion to deliver the best patient care. Thank you all once again. The nation is indebted to you for your leadership, and for helping our vulnerable people.” The state has already started taking measures to improve the performance of the healthcare sector by mapping the public healthcare and preventive healthcare system through effective interventions, she said.

While presenting a robust picture of how the state of Andhra Pradesh has become a role model in healthcare delivery with higher rate of investment on healthcare, the Health Minister of Andhra Pradesh said, “Thank you all for being here. And thank you for taking time and conducting such big summits over here. And likewise, it’s a learning session for all of us. And all of your ideas will be taken into consideration by the government of Andhra Pradesh, and let’s all work together and be a part of the growth story of us today.”

Dr Ravi Kolli, President of AAPI in his opening remarks said, “The Global Healthcare Summit aims at raising awareness on key health care issues affecting the Indian subcontinent such as Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, Women’s and Children’s Health, Infectious Diseases and Mental Health.”  Highlight of this Summit is to reaffirm NRI Physicians’ commitment towards improving health care and create model programs for management of various diseases and to improve outcomes universally, he added.

 The Summit will be focusing on mental health, reduce the stigma for seeking mental health services, working on Physicians burnout, he added. In addition, AAPI is keen to collaborate with various state and federal government programs to enhance the quality of healthcare delivery, making it affordable, efficient, and equitable, especially helping with the management of various diseases, improving health outcomes universally, training the trainer sessions involving learning modules in different specialties, and tele-consultations.

Describing some of the objectives of the GHS, Dr. Prasad Chalasani, Chair of GHS (USA) 2023 said. “We hope to create an intellectually charged platform for experts to share their experiences on some of the common professional issues that still remain a challenge in spite of all the advancement. The exchange of expertise and transfer of technology by the best brains is bound to offer positive and innovative solutions to some of the problems faced by humankind.”

Among the many initiatives that emerge from GHS 2023, a notable action plan will be for AAPI to collaborate with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to initiate an ambitious program to address mental health and wellness of students in high school in Andhra Pradesh. Some of the other initiatives that will be announced during the GHS 2023 include: effective treatment modalities on non-communicable medical diseases, reducing the infant and maternal mortality and HPV Vaccination.

Discussions and deliberations that are being addressed included, the Stigma of Mental illness, Suicide prevention, Management of Chronic diseases and Non Communicable Diseases, and other Global Health issues including Climate Change and its impact on health.

. For more information on Global Health Summit, please visit: www.summit.aapiusa.org and www.GHS2023.com