Indian-American physicians to bring issues before lawmakers

An influential body of Indian-American physicians is holding its annual legislative day on Capitol Hill March 26-27 to bring issues facing the community before US lawmakers.

Association of American Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organisation of physicians, representing over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, wants to make their voices heard on Capitol Hill and around the nation, it said.

AAPI's Annual Legislative Day conference will discuss medicare sustainable growth rate, immigration reform, combating obesity, implementation of affordable care and growing US-India relations, according to a media release.

Indian-Americans constitute less than one percent of the country's population, but they account for nine percent of the American doctors and physicians.

One out of every seven doctors serving in the US is of Indian heritage, providing medical care to over 40 million of US population.

Several key lawmakers including Ed Royce Republican chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee and Joe Crowley and Peter Roskam, Democratic and Republican co-chairman of Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans respectively have confirmed their attendance.

"AAPI has been seeking to collectively shape the best health care for the people of US, with the physician at the helm, caring for the medically underserved as we have done for several decades when physicians of Indian origin came to the US in larger numbers," said Jayesh Shah, president of AAPI.

"AAPI is once again in the forefront in bringing many burning health care issues facing the community at large and bringing this to the Capitol and to the US Congress," said Sampat Shivangi, Co-chair of AAPI Legislative Affairs Committee.

As part of comprehensive immigration reform, AAPI has urged the Congress to include international medical graduates also along with international students graduating with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) for being fast-tracked for Green Cards.

This proposal would enable highly-skilled workers to remain in the US after receiving their higher education in America, AAPI said.