Indian-American doctors organise free medical check-up

Washington, July 8: The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI, one of the largest ethnic organisations in the US representing some 100,000 Indian-American doctors, organized its annual community health fair in San Antonio, Texas, at the conclusion of its 32nd annual convention there.

Hundreds of homeless people lined up Sunday morning to avail themselves of a unique opportunity for free medical check up offered by Medical Missions and Community Service Committee of AAPI at their door steps, according to an AAPI release.

The fair last Sunday was in keeping with AAPI's tradition of offering free medical services to the local population of the city where the annual convention is held.

The health fair organized at "Haven for Hope," a homeless shelter in San Antonio Downtown, "offered vital signs measurement, blood tests for total cholesterol, HDL, sugar and non-invasive haemoglobin and consultation with primary care and various available specialists."

These included internists, paediatricians, pulmonologists and critical care, urologists, obstetricians and gynaecologists, anaesthesiologists and pathologists, according to Dr. Nitin Shah, an AAPI leader and organizer of the clinic.

"Once again, these AAPI members have shown their dedication by conducting the free community health fair, so well organized by the host city of San Antonio," said Dr. Ravi Jahagirdar, President of AAPI.

The AAPI delegates provided these services free of cost helping out at every level of the clinic.

"It was an amazing priceless experience to serve these many real needy people in a short period of time with limited resources and manpower," said Dr. Nick Shroff, chairman of AAPI's Charitable Foundation.

IANS