Celebrating India’s 75th Independence Day, AAPI Plans Blood Donation and Bone Marrow Drive Camps in 75 Cities In US

(Chicago, IL: July 27th, 2021)
“As we the 75thIndependence Day of
India, the nation which has made us to be what we are today, American
Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI,) the largest ethnic
organization in the United States, representing nearly 100,000
physicians and Fellows of Indian origin in the United States, is
excited to launch a unique and noble initiative in collaboration with
Bitcare, ‘AAPI Blood Donation and Stem Cell Drive” from August 15th
onwards in 75 cities,” Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of AAPI
announced here today.

A major initiative of Dr. Gotimukula-led new Executive Team which
assumed charge of AAPI on July 4th during the AAPI Convention in
Atlanta, the Blood Donation campaign and free Antibody testing, is in
response to the national need for blood, especially as the Covid
Pandemic ravages the world.

“I want to thank the dozens of AAPI Chapters and in cities and towns
across the United States, who have confirmed and have started planning
to organize the event in several states,” said Meher Medavram, Chair
of AAPI’s Blood Donation Initiative said. The launch event will be
held in Chicago on August 7th, Dr. Medavaram announced.

Dr. Kusum Punjabi the Chair of Board of Trustees of AAPI, who is the
youngest to date to be holding this position in AAPI’s 40 years long
history and serving patients in the Emergency Department, said “As the
pandemic has exhausted all the resources, especially the lifesaving
and much needed Blood across the nation and the world, AAPI is in the
forefront, once again, spreading the message for the need to donate
blood and save lives.”

Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI, a Board Certified
Psychiatrist with additional qualifications in Addiction, Geriatric
and Forensic Psychiatry, and serving as the Psychiatric Medical
Director of Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services, urged “potential
blood donors to donate blood to help ensure lifesaving blood products
are available for patients. Your donation is needed now to prevent
delays in patient care. Help overcome the severe blood shortage!”

Dr. Anjana Samadder, Vice President of AAPI, said, who herself has
experienced the ordeal with Covid -19, and has come out stronger,
resilient and tenacious, quoting Red Cross said, “Every two seconds
someone in the U.S. needs blood. It is essential for surgeries, cancer
treatment, chronic illnesses, and traumatic injuries. Whether a
patient receives whole blood, red cells, platelets or plasma, this
lifesaving care starts with one person making a generous donation.”

“With the ongoing pandemic, the United States and the world need the
help of blood and platelet donors and blood drive hosts to meet the
needs of patient care,” said Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary of AAPI,
a board certified hematologist and oncologist from Dayton, Ohio,
practicing Medicine for nearly two decades. Dr. Kathula also said, “It
is very difficult to find a matched stem cell donor for Southeast
Asians should they need a bone marrow or stem cell transplant and this
drive will help increase the number of potential donors.”

Dr. Krishan Kumar, a pediatric emergency medicine physician in East
Meadow, New York and is affiliated with multiple hospitals in the
area, quoting studies done on the need and usefulness of Blood said,
“Blood donation helps save lives. In fact, every two seconds of every
day, someone needs blood. Since blood cannot be manufactured outside
the body and has a limited shelf life, the supply must constantly be
replenished by generous blood donors.”

The growing influence of physicians of Indian heritage is evident, as
increasingly physicians of Indian origin hold critical positions in
the healthcare, academic, research and administrative positions across
the nation. We the physicians of Indian origin are proud of our great
achievements and contributions to our motherland, India, our adopted
land, the US and in a very significant way to the transformation of
the Indo-US relations.

Serving 1 in every 7 patients in the US, AAPI members care for
millions of patients every day, while several of them have risen to
hold high flying jobs, shaping the policies and programs and
inventions that shape the landscape of healthcare in the US and around
the world.
“As we all know our blood banks are deprived of products and another
wave of COVID is rapidly increasing,” Pointed out Dr. Gotimukula, who
has vowed to make AAPI a premium healthcare leader, primarily
focusing to improve and reform the current healthcare system and help
towards making a better healthcare model for the patients.

“It’s a humble and a noble initiative by AAPI to help save lives.
Please let us know if you are interested to take the lead in your town
and help in AAPI’s blood donation drive. Thank you and truly
appreciate your support in helping our blood banks.” For more details
to organize Blood Donation Drive in your city/town/region, please
contact: Vijaya Kodali, AAPI Office Manager at: [email protected].
For more details on AAPI, please visit: www.aapiusa,org