AKMG’s 42nd annual convention held in Atlanta

Atlanta, GA: The 42nd annual Association of Kerala Medical Graduates (AKMG) convention was held August 13-15 at the Inter-Continental Buckhead Hotel here. Attended by 425 fully vaccinated doctors of Kerala origin and their families from the US and Canada, the annual convention was the best forum for friends to get together, converse, reminisce about their past medical college campus life, singing old and new songs, network and be enriched and entertained.

In his presidential address Dr. Subrahmanya Bhat said, “We have added close to 400 new life members to the AKMG organization. We have started a mentorship program for young physicians who are working on improving their craft.”

Pointing to the several charitable events and programs AKMG has organized, Dr. Bhat said, “We have supported several food banks that have fed the hungry. In addition, our teams raised enough funds to feed 10,000 homeless people last Christmas.”

Back home in Kerala, with the generous contributions from AKMG members, Dr. Bhat and his team have raised over $200,000 for Covid relief in Kerala and provided PPEs and pulse oximeters to healthcare workers and hospitals in Kerala. “We have started a new telehealth service called Dronacare in partnership with Innovation Incubator Inc with the intent of providing free healthcare consultation to people in Kerala.” In addition, AKMG has initiated the steps to bridge Kerala CDC and Atlanta CDC under the direction of Dr. MV Pillai, Past President of AKMG.

Dr. Swathi Kulkarni, Consul General of India in Atlanta, who was special guest, described the Indian American Physician community as a “testament to the greatest growth story.” While emphasizing the role of physicians during the pandemic, Dr. Kulkarni praised their contributions and achievements. Dr. Kulkarni shared with the audience about the many programs and plans offered by the Government of India to alleviate the sufferings of the people of India during the pandemic. In addition, Dr. Kulkarni stressed the importance of the Indo-US Strategic Alliance, especially in the health sector, while pointing out India’s contributions to providing the world with quality drugs for lower prices.

Dr. Vikas Kapil from the CDC delivered the keynote address. Dr. Asha Thomas, an IAS officer and head of Health and Human Services and Medical education in Kerala, also attended the convention.  

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