GAPIO keen to establish South African chapter

An Indian-origin association of physicians till now focusing on India is keen to establish its South African chapter to work closely with local people and help reduce health inequalities.
The Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (GAPIO) is keen to establish a South African chapter of the organisation.
"Indian-origin doctors have been rallying and coming together to do something good on their own for many years wherever they are, but collectively we can do even more," said Dr Anwar Feroz Siddiqi, US-based Advisor to GAPIO.
Emphasising that Indian-origin doctors should look at what they could do in the countries that they have adopted as their home, Siddiqi said they should identify issues pertinent to their countries and help locals with that.

"By doing so we increase our profile and integrate better in the societies we have settled in," Siddiqi said.
GAPIO President Dr Sanku Rao said in the five years since its inception, there were chapters established in over 30 countries and they were hoping to expand this soon.

Although the focus has been on India, North America and Europe so far, it was now shifting to Africa and other areas of the globe, Rao said.
"We will be going to the Caribbean Islands soon and hope to have our first chapter on the African continent soon here in South Africa," Rao added.

But there were mixed feelings among Indian-South African doctors who are fourth and fifth generation South Africans and expatriate Indian doctors who have settled here since the advent of democracy over two decades ago.
Dr Jothi Nair, a specialist working at a government hospital in Pretoria for the past 20 years, said there was a lot that doctors of Indian-origin could do in the social and welfare sector.
Dr Murthi Sooboo, a third-generation South African, said Indian doctors had been doing a lot of community service for a long time through their respective religious and cultural organisations.
"The concept of bringing together South Africans of Indian-origin is therefore not new because community-based organisations have had their services for a long time. It would of course be nice to be part of an international organisation," Sooboo said.

"It is a challenge though that many of us will have in our diverse communities. The starting point would be to ask those organisations who are doing it whether they would like to be part of this global organisation rather than replicating something that is running successfully already in the country," Sooboo added.
Established in 2009, the GAPIO stands to empower physicians of Indian origin to achieve highest professional standards, to provide affordable good quality healthcare, to contribute to local and regional community development and thereby help to reduce health inequalities and alleviate suffering globally.