Indian American doctors plan event on Capitol Hill with US lawmakers

The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), an organisation representing the interests of over 120,000 physicians and fellows of Indian origin, has planned to honour their motherland on the occasion of India’s 75th anniversary of Independence with a special celebration on Capitol Hill at the US Senate Hart Building, in Washington DC on September 21, according to a press release. With the growing influence of Indian American doctors in the US healthcare services, academic, research, policy and administrative positions; AAPI is increasingly recognised among lawmakers and federal and state governments in the US.

“We are proud to be part of this historic celebration of India on Capitol Hill, where we will have an opportunity to exchange views and express our concerns with the dozens of US lawmakers, who will come to be part of the event,” said Dr. Ravi Kolli, president of AAPI.

“Indian American physicians have made vital contributions to the health care field,” said Dr. Sampat Shivangi, chair of AAPI’s legislative committee. “As physicians, we provide critical care to patients from rural & urban communities across the country. Indian American doctors are playing a critical role in filling the nationwide physician shortage. The India Day on Capitol Hill will be a unique opportunity for AAPI members to be part of the decision-making process on matters related to healthcare and advocate for stronger and closer ties between India and the United States, the two largest democracies of the world. We expect to have the participation from dozens of key congressmen and senators.”

Besides interactive sessions with US lawmakers during the event at the Hill; a reception and dinner will be hosted by Indian Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu.

Dr. Anjana Samadder, president-elect of AAPI said, “AAPI has been serving India and contributing to the effective healthcare delivery in the US and in India. In keeping with the mission, the celebrations on the Hill will provide us with a forum to facilitate and enable Indian American physicians share our concerns with the lawmakers in pursuit of our aspirations in matters relating to professional and community affairs.”

“AAPI has been seeking to collectively shape the best health care for everyone in the US, with the physicians at the helm, caring for the medically underserved as we have done for several decades when physicians of Indian origin came to the US in larger numbers,” Dr Kolli said. He added that AAPI was again at the forefront in bringing many burning health care issues, facing the community at large, to the Capitol and to the US Congress.