HISTORY OF ANDHRA PRADESH CHAPTER OF ASSOCIATION OF PHYSICIANS OF INDIA

Physicians across the State of Andhra Pradesh had been holding mid term annual conference every year at teaching Medical Colleges by rotation to disseminate knowledge regarding latest trends in Medicine to practising Physicians and Post Graduate students. There was always an unanimous resolution in these conferences that a State Chapter of Physicians should be created but the idea never bore fruit till 2002 as nobody took the initiative and pursued it further.

Following the State Mid Term Conference held at Kakinada by the Kakinada Branch of API in 2002, Dr.I.V.Rao M.D., the then Professor of Medicine and the Chairman of that Conference took it upon himself to work for the formation of the State Chapter of the Association of Physicians of India. He corresponded with physicians all over the State, approached senior physicians of Hyderabad like Dr.Vinod Chandra, Dr.S.R.Rao, Dr. B.K.Sahay, Dr.V.Shantaram and others, took their consent and proceeded further in creation of Andhra Pradesh Chapter of Association of Physicians of India (APAPI).

The Association was registered with Registrar of Societies at Kakinada. The Constitution was drafted on lines with the Constitution of Association of Physicians of India and other State Associations. Life Members were enrolled with a membership fee of Rs 1000/- and Rs 500/- for PG Students who were designated as Associate Life Members. Thus the AP Chapter of API took birth with 150 members.

Elections were held by Postal Ballot, with Dr.N.V.S.Nayudu, Senior Professor of Medicine, Kakinada acting as the returning officer. The first executive was put in place with Dr.B.K.Sahay as the first Chairman and Dr.Madan as Hony. Secretary of the newly formed AP Chapter of Association of Physicians of India.

The first Mid Term Conference of the newly formed AP API was held at Tirupati, abode of Lord Venkateswara at S.V.Medical College, Tirupati with Dr.S.R.Gupta as the Chairman of the Conference in 2004. Two orations have been instituted in the State Conferences one in memory of Late Dr.I.Joga Rao and another in memory of Late Gummidala Veerayya.

Thereafter, AP Chapter of API grew in strength year by year till 2015 with a membership of around 470. After the bifurcation of combined State of Andhra Pradesh into Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states, with the request of Telangana Physicians AP Chapter of API also got divided and the process of division got completed during the combined AP State Conference in Tirupati in 2015

The newly formed AP Chapter of API has 365.members presently and is functioning with the new executive elected in 2015.

AP API conducts an annual midterm conference and two regional conferences every year at the designated places in the three regions – North Coastal, South Coastal and Rayalaseema regions. A medical camp will also be held in the nearest rural area one day before each conference to extend specialist medical services to the rural people in need.

The AP State Chapter of API has been functioning as per the constitution laid down and striving hard to promote the ideals for which it has been created to bring the latest trends in Medicine to the doorstep of practising physicians and post graduate students across the state.