A Journey of 50 years IMA, TRIPURA STATE BRANCH Dr. Satya Ranjan Debbarma Ex-President, IMA,Tripura State Branch, 1998 - 2008 It is pride for the members of I.M.A Tripura State Branch that we are celebrating the 50th Year “Golden Jubilee” of Indian Medical Association Tripura State Branch. It is a very remarkable mile stone in the history of I.M.A Tripura State Branch. I.M.A is the highest professional body in India. It has a glorious past history. It was formed in the year 1928, on 28th December under the Presidentship of Dr.G.V. Deshmukh of Mumbai as “All India Medical Association”. In the year 1930, the All India Medical Association was renamed as the “Indian Medical Association”. Over the period of 89 years, the I.M.A. while maintaining its glorious traditions has secured a place of pride with a total membership of 2,51,880 throughout the country. In the year 1951 in Tripura I.M.A. was launched as a local branch of I.M.A. Bengal with Dr. H.P Banerjee as President, Dr.Nandalal Chakraborty as Vice-President and Dr. Jatish Ch. Chakraborty as its Secretary. In the year 1957, under dynamic leadership of Dr.G.C. Chakraborty Tripura Local Branch was upgraded to Tripura Territorial Branch with Dr. Chakraborty as its President and Dr. Shukhendu Bhattacharjee as its Secretary and converted into Tripura State Branch in the year 1967 and the first All Tripura Medical conference was held at G.B. Hospital in the same year. Dr.Umesh Chakrabarty of Institute of Child Health, Calcutta was first Guest Speaker. I.M.A. is pursuing its academic activities for its members by conducting regular Continuing Medical Education Program, publishing scientific Journals Bulletins and organizing Scientific Sessions during its annual conferences. I.M.A. is also rendering its services in the field of health care delivery, disease control and eradication and always conducts health camps during the natural calamities, epidemics for the benefit of the victims. I.M.A. also actively participates in formulation and implementation of national health programs. I.M.A. Tripura State Branch felt the need of its own building since its formation. It was in the year 1982 a plot of land was allotted by the Tripura State Government during the tenure of Dr. A.M. Majumdar & Dr. Animesh Ghosh as President and Secretary, where the present I.M.A. House is situated. The I.M.A. building construction started on 18th November 2001, during the tenure of Dr. J.K. Nag, Sr. Vice President, Dr. Nepal Chandra Bhaumik, Hony, State Secretary, Dr. Swapan Sarkar, Vice President, Dr. Jayanta Kr. Das & Dr. Kalyan Kr. Roy, Jt. Secretary and Dr. Pijush Das was the Hony. Treasurer, under the Presidenship of Dr. Satya Ranjan Debbarma. Members of IMA contributed generously for the construction of the IMA House. Shri Khagen Das, Hon’ble Member of Parliament also sanctioned Rs.10 lakhs from his area development fund and finally the I.M.A. Clinic complex on the ground floor of the I.M.A. House was inaugurated on 26th October 2003 by Shri Khagen Das, Hon’ble Member of Parliament. At present the 2 storied building with an auditorium in the 2nd floor has been nearly completed with the efforts of the member under the leadership of Dr. Pradip Bhaumik and Dr. Ashis Kr. Kar as President & Secretary and expected to complete the remaining work within short period. Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha Smt. Jharna Das Baidya has also sanctioned Rs. 20 Lacs from her area development fund. At present all the activities of the IMA, Tripura State Branch is conducted from this I.M.A. house. I.M.A. Tripura State Branch conducts regular CME programs, publishes IMA News Bulletin and organizes Scientific Sessions during its annual conferences for academic updating of its members. IMA has also introduced I.M.A. awards and Dr. Kushanka Memorial awards for best scientific papers to encourage its members. As part of philanthropic activities I.M.A. Tripura State Branch in collaboration with District Branches conducts Mega Specialist Health Camps in interior places of the State throughout the year for the benefit of the people. In the past IMA, Tripura State Branch in collaboration with District Branches conducted Mega Specialist Health Camps in interior places of Tripura like, Raishabari under Gandachera sub-division, Kulai under Ambasa Sub-Division ,Behelabari and Champahower under Khowai Sub-Divison, Jampui Hill under Kanchanpur Sub-Division, Bajendra Nagar under Dharmanagar Sub-Division etc. Conduction of all those health camps were not risk free and a lot of challenges had to be overcome. The medical team including the executives of I.M.A. while returning from Dharmanagar after conducting Mega Health Camp were intercepted by a group of extremists near Jiyalchera in the Atharamurah Hill and all the valuables were looted. It was the IMA, Tripura State Branch who took initiative and was the liaison between renowned Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Devi Shetty and the State Government in setting up the “Jogesh Chakraborty Memorial Coronary Care Unit” at Tripura Sundari Hospital, Udaipur which was the follow up of Mega Cardiac Camp organized by IMA, State Branch in collaboration with ATGDA in the year 2000 A.D. on “Doctors Day”. In the month of February, 1997 one communal riot took place in the area of Ramchandraghat, Chebri and Tulashikhar under Khowai Sub-Division and huge number of people took shelter in relief camps. It was the I.M.A. Tripura State Branch who rushed with medical team and visited the relief camps and rendered medical services. It was highly appreciated by Bimal Sinha the then Hon’ble Health Minister of Tripura. In 1999 one devastating cyclone hit the coastal areas of Odissa (Orissa) affecting thousands of people with loss of life. I.M.A. Tripura State Branch in collaboration with ATGDA(ATJDA) sent a medical team to Odissa to render medical services to the affected people. The team served there near about one month. I.M.A. Tripura State Branch also donated funds to the Prime Minister Relief Fund for the help of Kargil war victims and also for the victims of Tsunami. I.M.A. also stands by the side of its members when they are in distress. Dr. Phani Sarkar at present Associate Professor of Ophthalmology AGMC, Agartala went to Apollo Hospital Chennai for the purpose of treatment of his wife in the month of July 2003. During their stay at Apollo Hospital Dr. Sarkar had attack of fever and became unconscious. This came to the notice of executives of the I.M.A. Tripura State Branch and immediately took up with hospital authority and I.M.A. executives Chennai and requested to rule out cerebral malaria. The Tripura Medicare Service Persons and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Bill, 2013 was enacted in Tripura following demand and regular persuasion by I.M.A. Tripura State Branch. Doctor’s day is celebrated throughout the state as a Government program from the year 2011 following the demand of I.M.A. Tripura State Branch. At present there is a proposal by Govt. of India in the form of Bill – National Medical Commission (NMC), 2016 just to abolish the Medical Council of India (MCI) which is regulating highest standard of Medical Education in the Country. MCI represent all the state of the country and formed democratically by the eminent members of the medical profession where as the proposed NMC is more of a bureaucratic organization. IMA strongly demands withdrawal of NMC Bill, however MCI can be restructured if it is at all necessary for the standardization of medical education in the country. Nineteen States of the Country including Tripura has got a Act on prevention of violence in Health Institutions. But it is not being followed stringently due to lack of uniformity. Hence IMA demands a Central Act on prevention of violence against healthcare providers and healthcare institutes of the country and Law enforcing authorities to be made aware to implement such act proactively. In the name of “Health is a concurrent subject” there is no affective Clinical Establishment Act in the country. Whatever Act is there is against the interest of individual clinic and small hospitals which are basically serving the poorer section of the country. Hence a people friendly Central Clinical Establishment Act to be framed at the earliest. The proposal by Central Ministry of Health for NEXT (National Exit Test) after completion of internship for the medical graduates is basically challenge to the standard of Medical Colleges & Universities across the country and also MCI. IMA strongly opposes such proposal. Independence of universities and regulatory bodies should not be curved for the greater interest of the thousands and thousands of students across the country. We demand decriminalization of the medical professionals for mere clerical errors in the name of existing PCPNDT Act. It should be revised immediately. Crosspathy can never be encouraged and it will jeopardize the basic right of a patient to get best possible service from a qualified medical practitioner. This move of Crosspathy is absolutely unscientific and not practiced anywhere in the world. So this should be nullified immediately. Consumers Protection Act (CPA) is basically derogatory to the prestige of medical profession. It should be revised and fixation of capping of compensation in a case of medical negligence should be included. Indian Medical Association, Tripura State Branch has its glorious history. It is rendering medical services to the people of the State. It is also continuing its endeavor for academic improvement of its members by organizing CME, publishing IMA News Bulletin & Souvenir and conducting rich scientific sessions during the annual conferences. IMA, Tripura State Branch is also maintaining a good relation and co-operation with all sisterly organizations of the medical professions & others associated bodies for its pro-people activities and also for the interest of members of the profession. IMA is committed to continue its activities for the interest of mankind and its members. Long Live IMA.