Physicians hold free Health Fair in Chicago

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The Indian American Medical Association, Illinois (iamaill.org), in collaboration with the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) hosted its  annual Community Health Fair in Chicago Sunday, August 28, 2022. Continuing with the tradition of offering free medical services to the needy members of the local population, dozens of physicians and volunteers, mostly of Indian origin, worked to make the Fair a success.

Close to two dozen physicians from various specialties provided medical services at the day-long event that catered to the needs of more than one hundred registrants.

“We offered vital signs measurement, Blood tests for to.tal cholesterol, HDL, Sugar and Noninvasive Hemoglobin and consultation with primary care and various available specialists including internist, pediatrician, pulmonologist and critical care, urologist, obstetrician and gynecologist, anesthesiologist and pathologist,” Dr. Suresh Reddy, President of IAMA and a past President of AAPI is quoted saying in the press release from the organization. However, he noted, “Having more specialists could have benefited several patients as there was a need for many more medical and surgical specialists like general surgeon, gastroenterologist, ophthalmologists.”

The IAMA-Ill.- AAPI Free Health Fair offered discounted coupons which included $30 to have the CT coronary calcium screening done at Imaging Center. Also, the participants at the Health Fair were provided with the free lab services through the IAMA-Ill. offices.  The Fair stressed on the importance of Cardiac Health Awareness in view of so many sudden deaths and acute MI among people of Indian heritage at a younger age, organizers said.

“Once again, these AAPI members have showed their dedication by conducting the free Community Health Fair, so well organized by IAMA,” said Dr. Meher Medavaram, secretary of AAPI.

The main organizers of the event were Dr. Suresh Reddy, president of IAMI-Ill., Dr. Meher Medavaram and Dr. Radhika Chimata, Treasurer and Secretary of IAMA, and the entire executive Committee members, including Dr. Piyush Vyas, Dr. Dilip Shah, Dr. Rajeev Kumar, Dr. Sukanya Reddy, Dr. Srilatha Gundala, Dr. Neetha Dhananjaya, Dr. Pooja Kinkhabwala. Dr. Reddy expressed “deep appreciation and gratitude to all, particularly to the senior members of IAMA-Ill., Dr. Amit Vyas, Dr. Geeta Wadhwani and several others who actively provided their services. Thank you Christy Dolan for your moral support.”

Dr. Chimata thanked those who partnered with IAMA-AAPI for the event, including Vinoz Chanamolu from Mall of India, Mamtani Foundation, Global Eye and American Telugu Association.

Rep. Deanne Mazzochi was the Guest of Honor.  More than 50 high school volunteers led by Shree Gurusamy and Alli Dhanaraj helped make the Fair a success.

“I feel so satisfied we could bring basic healthcare to the homeless and poor people at the health fair. It was an amazing priceless experience to serve these many real needy people in a short period of time with limited resources and manpower,” Reddy said.

IAMA-IL is a non-profit organization comprised of Illinois physicians, fellows, residents, and medical students of Indian origin. The Indian American Medical Association Charitable Foundation Free Health Clinic is a non-profit organization that was established in 1994. The free clinic serves low-income populations, who are uninsured and under-served and have no affordable or culturally competent medical facility for their healthcare needs, the press release said.