From left, Dr. Gautam Sammader, Dr. Seema Arora, Dr. Mrs Goyal, Dr. Goyal, Dr. B.R. Shetty, Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Dr. Mrs Shivangi, Unknown physician, Dr. Hetal and Dr. Sudhakar Jonnalagadda
From left, Dr. Hamda Kamalboor, Dr. Anuj Chandra, H.E., Dr. Hussain Abdulrahman Al Rand,
From left, Dr. Gautam Sammader, H.E., Dr. Hussain Abdulrahman Al Rand, Dr. B.R. Shetty, and Dr. Sampat Shivangi
The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin held a healthcare education seminar in Dubai on Dec. 26. The Dubai event was a pre-conference tour to kickoff the annual AAPI Global Healthcare Summit—a major event which took place in Kolkata, India Dec. 2831 and drew over 500 participants from all over the world. Under the direction of Chattanooga’s own Dr. Anuj Chandra, the pre-conference drew approximately 75 visiting and local experts and healthcare leaders. Dr. Chandra is past president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin-Sleep, and he is founder and medical director of the Advanced Center for Sleep Disorders in Tennessee.
AAPI enables healthcare leaders to freely exchange views, ideas, and cutting edge scientific findings to improve medical care in the U.S. and abroad. The Dubai Healthcare Education Seminar was an apropos opening to the Global Health Summit, in accordance with the vision of AAPI President, Dr. GautamSamadder, to educate and develop the next generation of health care leaders.
“I see healthcare leaders coming together to solve problems and implementing those changes throughout the world,” said Dr. Samadder. “The Dubai Conference was an endeavor to collaborate with United Arab Emirates physicians, with the mutual sharing of expertise towards the improvement of healthcare on a global scale.”
The Dubai Health Authority has a mission to transform Dubai into a leading healthcare destination. High ranking officials who attended the seminar expressed a reciprocated interest to collaborate with the physicians of Indian origin in the Gulf Region. The United Arab Emirates is the top destination for Indian migrants, and the AAPI welcomes a long-term alliance with physicians of the UAE.
One of the leaders who organized the event was Dr. Sampat Shivangi, chair of AAPI Legislative Committee. He was able to involve many UAE healthcare leaders and visiting delegates for a mutually beneficial symposium. The Chief Guest was Assistant Undersecretary of Health Centers and Clinic, H.E. Dr. Hussain Abdulrahman Al Rand.
Guest of Honor, Dr. B.R. Shetty, gave an account of the development of the Dubai health care system. Dr. Shetty completed his pharmaceutical education in India and moved to the UAE in 1973. He shared the story of how he founded, with humble beginnings, the New Medical Centre—now the UAE’s largest private healthcare provider.
Dr. Chandra was chairman of the Dubai HES. Dr. Chandra has a mission to raise awareness about sleep health across the world and this endeavor was no exception. He ensured that the symposium included vital lectures about sleep medicine. Tennessee physician, Dr. Raghu Upender of Vanderbilt, gave a lecture on hypoglossal nerve stimulation in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.
UAE physician, Dr. Hamda Kamalboor, delivered a state of art impactful presentation on the diagnosis of sleep disorders. The approaching Kolkata GHS theme focused on Women’s Healthcare, so Dr. Kamalboor’s participation exemplified the symposium in Dubai as the perfect way to launch. She delivered a very informative lecture. Dr. Kamalboor is one of two female neurologists in her region. She follows in the footsteps of her mentor, Dr. Sharifa Abdool, as an additional pioneer in her field. These women are examples of the expanding role of Emirati women in higher education, the workforce, and healthcare. Interestingly, the first practicing female physician in the UAE was an Indian national, Dr. Zulekha Daud.
“The Global Healthcare Summit included a women’s leadership forum, an initiative for aspiring female leaders to see and hear from their role models," said Dr. Chandra. "I believe the Dubai symposium was the perfect prologue. It was a privilege to be part of this event, and I too learned very useful information from other experts at the seminar.”
The event was a success largely because of the dedicated delegates who traveled from around the world to attend, said officials. One of the collaborating professional organizations was the Association of Kerala Medical Graduates Emirates. Led by President Dr. Hanish Babu, AKMG Emirates physicians took time out of their busy medical practices and drove for hours to attend.
The Dubai symposium and Kolkata GHS were notable accomplishments which illustrate the AAPI efforts to improve healthcare on a global scale. While the AAPI was initiated to provide a forum for physicians of Indian origin, it continues to welcome physicians of any origin to participate. As the second largest medical association after the American Medical Association, the AAPI strives to form borderless partnerships of strengths across the globe.