annual report1-final.qxd - Overseas Indian

Plenary Session 2
continued in the latter case while it has been
delinked in the case of India and Britain. The overseas
physicians of Singapore had contributed to
several collaborative projects in Delhi and Kolkata
in the field of radiology and there were competitive
advantages of free trade agreements.
There are many doctors of Indian origin in
Singapore and, in recent years, the number of nurses
from India is growing too, he said.
The following questions came up for discussion:
Given the fact that none of the government clinics
in rural India worked, and doctors remain
unavailable, how could the services be improved
and fatalities minimised What kind of MoU could
AAPI sign to improve these services
When people are not happy with allopathic treatment,
how would one promote allopathy, especially
when there is time-tested and proven ayurvedic
and other local systems of treatment
There is no private hospital, which is ready to
admit an injured person and also there is no system
of reimbursement for physicians. Isn’t legal reform
a basic issue that needs to be taken up immediately
for trauma/accident care
In this country, all one needs is Rs 400-1,000 to get a
driving license. This means more accidents on roads.
How can AAPI have representation in MCI This
will mean giving in to a demand of foreign medical
professionals being allowed into the Indian medical
system. Questions were also raised regarding
AAPI’s role in intervening in the developed states
of India (Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat etc.)
and neglecting other states such as Uttar Pradesh,
Bihar and Madhya Pradesh.
Would AAPI like to promote medical tourism in
India Would that help India more than U.S.
Dr. Koli answered the questions, saying that India
was moving towards centres of excellence. Every city
will gear up if there is some initiative. Rural healthcare
is a new advent even for AAPI. He expressed the
hope that GoI and AAPI could successfully contribute
to improving services in rural health care.
Dr. Balasubramanium said that legal reform is on
the anvil under the proposed EMS Act. In India, no
physician has been accused of negligence till date,
which infused a lot of confidence in the system. All
the local stakeholders who have interest should be
brought in, he said.
An MoU was signed between AAPI and MOIA to
enable AAPI to work in primary healthcare in pilot
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