AAPI summit focuses on cutting-edge in healthcare and AI

The 17th annual Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) on the theme of “Cutting Edge in Healthcare and Artificial Intelligence” began in New Delhi on Tuesday.

For the first time ever the summit is being held in two cities, in collaboration with prestigious institutions, such as the All India Medical Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi and Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE)in Manipal, according to an AAPI release.

AAPI planned to have the summit in two cities in India, giving delegates, who are coming from the United States to participate in GHS and gain a unique perspective and experience India from the North and the South, AAPI president Dr. Anjana Samadder, said in her welcome address.

The first part of GHS is being held Jan 1-3 at the Le Meridien Hotel in New Delhi and the second Jan 4-6 at the Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, MAHE in Karnataka in collaboration with the state government and the Global Association of Indian Medical Students (GAIMS).

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The annual event of AAPI, GHS has contributed to ushering in new ways of providing healthcare to India’s 1.4 billion people, who live in the congested urban centers and in the rural/remote regions of the country, Samadder said.

Dr. Sampat Shivangi, Chair of GHS 2024 said, with the rapidly changing healthcare landscape, AAPI wants to explore AI’s impact on medicine and healthcare in the 21st century.

In his keynote address, Dr. Anupam Sibal, Chair of GHS – Delhi, highlighted the enormous accomplishments of India and Indian Americans across many spectrums.

In his address, M. Srinivasan, Director of AIIMS, said, “I am certain that this conference will act as a platform for exchange of ideas and collaboration across the domains for cutting edge research and breakthrough in medical education.”

Dr. Lokesh Edara, Chair of AAPI BOT, said, “AAPI’s GHS is yet another way of continuing with our constant commitment towards making quality healthcare affordable and accessible to all the people of India. In addition, GHS 2024 focuses on promoting Healthcare Technology including Artificial Intelligence in the Healthcare arena.”

Highlighting the importance of the flagship annual GHS, Dr Samadder said, “This summit serves as a powerful platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration, and the forging of meaningful partnerships.”

AAPI, which has been leading efforts to help streamline medical education in India to meet the global standards, assembled a galaxy of medical regulatory organization leaders from India, the United Kingdom and the United States during the summit, according to the release.

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Leaders of the National Board of Examination in Medical Science (NBEMS) India, the National Board of Examination in Medical Science (NBME) USA, and the Federation of State Medical Boards (FSMB) were among the panelists.

Medical education has many challenges in the transfer of knowledge and quality. India is introducing the NEXT examination, which is the licensing examination similar to USML in the US, while the UKMLE is starting in the UK in 2024 in the place of PLAB examination.

AAPI has also entered into a groundbreaking partnership with CLIRNET, India’s leading digital healthcare platform with the objective of running a Mentorship & Observership program jointly, the release stated.

The initiative will provide Indian doctors with the opportunity to learn from experienced AAPI physicians and apply for observerships in the USA in various medical specialties.

CLIRNET and AAPI will facilitate interactive sessions, webinars, and forums, fostering collaborative learning and the exchange of medical knowledge. The initiative extends beyond general medicine, focusing on various specialties to advance medical research and address healthcare challenges.

The Mentorship & Observership Model aims to provide valuable inputs and expertise from AAPI medical experts in the United States to young and emerging healthcare professionals in India.

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Mentorship, a crucial component of medical training, is an important component in enhancing career development, professional satisfaction, and overall well-being of trainees.

The program will also offer doctors in India the opportunity to apply for observerships with AAPI physicians in the USA across various medical specialties.

As per the agreement, experienced AAPI physicians will facilitate interactive sessions, webinars, and forums, encouraging collaborative learning and the exchange of clinical knowledge.

AAPI is committed to training approximately 200,000 physicians in the coming year, focusing on general medicine and various specialties addressing evolving healthcare needs, the release stated.