IMA organizes Centenary Celebrations of Medical Conferences

Awards announced on Doctors Day presented on the occasion
The event also entailed discussions on key issues, recommendations on the same, and a promise to keep fighting for the cause of the medical fraternity

New Delhi, September 24, 2017: As a follow-up to the awards under various categories announced on Doctor’s Day in July this year, an award ceremony was held in The Grand, Vasant Kunj on the 23^rd of September 2017. The ceremony was organized as part of the Centenary Celebrations of Medical Conferences in India by the IMA. The doctors were honored for their contribution in the field of medicine and for their work towards the betterment of the medical fraternity at large.The event saw the coming together of the medical fraternity to discuss and debate on, among other things, the various issues plaguing the medical profession today. Discussions also focused on the revised fluid intake recommendations, among pediatricians, surgeons and physicians.Speaking about the awards, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, National President Indian Medical Association (IMA) and President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) and Dr RN Tandon – Honorary Secretary General IMA in a joint statement, said, “The medical fraternity is at a crossroads today. While on the one hand, this award ceremony is being held to honor those who are consistently striving to uphold the integrity of the medical profession, on the other, the fact that many issues still remain unaddressed cannot be ignored. These awards are an encouragement for all concerned to continue working towards restoring the nobility of this profession. They will also inspire others work harder to reach this level. I congratulate all the winners and urge them to carry on the good work being done by them.”

Apart from the awards, consensus meetings were also held which discussed various guidelines, one of them being the revised fluid intake recommendations. The revised recommendations indicate that hydrating a patient should entail a mix of energy and electrolytes. Apart from this, different levels of physical activity need different levels of hydration. As a general rule, the fluid intake should be low-sodium, low-sugar, non-caffeinated, and non-alcoholic. However, fitness activities of one hour or more may require additional hydration.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, said, “Fluid balance is essential for life. The daily liquid requirement can be calculated as 30 ml /kg body weight. Fluid is not only in the liquid form but also solid. For example, all vegetables and fruits are weighed equal. When a person is normally hydrated, they will have no thirst, their armpits will be wet, and they will pass urine every 3 to 6 hours. Hydration requirements increase in summer, after exercise, and in fever. About 5% of fluid loss is symptomatic. To find out whether a person is adequately hydrated, a comparison of their body weight during morning and evening can be done.”

The following days of this event will entail a meeting of the Central Working Committee, wherein pertinent issues will be discussed along with the way forward.

The recipients of the IMA awards are as follows.

Women Empowerment Award

Dr Jayshree B. Mehta and Dr Soumya Swaminathan (2016)
Dr Rishma Pai (2017)

Doctor of the Decade Award

Dr A Marthanda Pillai and Dr Shashank Joshi (2016)
Dr Randeep Guleria (2017)

Centenary Awards

Dr Ketan Desai
Dr Ajay Kumar
Dr Vinay Aggarwal
Dr KK Aggarwal

Life Time Achievement Award

Dr Ved Prakash Mishra (2017)

Doctor of the Year Award

Dr R N Tandon, Dr Girish Tyagi, Dr R V Asokan, Dr Hrishikesh D Pai, and Dr K K Kalra (2016)
Dr Shiv Kumar Mishra, Dr Bhupender Ahuja, Dr Saumitra Rawat, Dr H P Saraf, and Dr Mona Desai (2017)

Medical Eminent Teacher Award