AAPIQLI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin of Queens and Long Island) hosted its 22nd Annual Convention at Huntington Hilton on Long Island, NY on December 16, under the leadership of its President Dr. Rakesh Dua. It was attended by Chief Guest Congressman from NY’s 3rd district Honorable Tom Suozzi, Nassau County Executive elect Honorable Laura Curran, first deputy commissioner at department of health New York State Dr. Eugene Heslin, many dignitaries and more than 600 guests.
Four physicians, Dr. Mohinder Gupta; Dr. Devendra Mehta; Dr. P. Patrick Basu; and, Dr. Usha Krishnan were honored for their life time achievements and money was raised for many local and national charities. Dr. Ajay Lodha, immediate past president of national AAPI and Dr. Gautam Samadder, current president of national AAPI were recognized for their leadership and contributions to the physician community across the nation.
“We are here to celebrate our achievements tonight,” Dr. Dua in his Presidential address. He stated that AAPI QLI was registered in June 1995 as a Not-for-Profit Organization by Dr. Narendra Hadpawat to represent all Physicians of Indian Origin in Queens and Long Island, NY. The Inaugural dinner was held on June 3rd, 1995 at Leonard’s of Great Neck, NY and with 150 physicians in attendance.
In his address, Tom Suozi praised the contributions of Indian Americans to the larger American society. “In this room, you represent the future of New York And the USA. I see an immense pool of talents among you. We are very lucky to have you. You do so much for the nation,” he said. Tuozi urged AAPI members “not to allow others to pull up the ladder from behind.Echoing the sentiments, Dr. Gautam Samadder, President of AAPI, in his address, pointed out to the ongoing discrimination experienced by Indian American Doctors. He called upon the AAPI members to “stand united, in order to be able to fight for our rights,” while pointing to the fact that Indian American Physicians service every 7th patient in the nation and contribute to the healthcare industry in the nation.
In his inaugural address as the incoming President, Dr. Jagdish Gupta, President-Elect of AAPI QLI, announced the exciting new programs for the members in the year 2018 under his new leadership. “We want to continue to be the most vibrant, transformative and politically active Chapter among all AAPI chapters in the nation,” he said.
The Mission of AAPI Queens and Long Island has been to represent the interests of all physicians of Indian Origin in the area including providing Continuous Medical Education (CME) and engaging in charitable activities for the benefit of our community at large. Since its inception there was a strong alliance with and support from National AAPI.
AAPI QLI grew rapidly in membership and was well accepted by all other local and national professional organizations. From the very beginning the leadership put heavy emphasis on transparency and the democratic process, which is the main ingredient for its enormous success. AAPI of Queens and Long Island currently represents 660 active physicians and donates more than $60,000 annually for charitable purposes. It is also one of the largest chapters of National AAPI.
