Apollo Health City, Hyderabad, India and the College of Emergency Medicine (CEM), United Kingdom conducted the 2009 graduation ceremony for the doctors who went through the 3 year emergency medicine residency program and passed the MCEM examinations last year. The graduation ceremony was held at Novotel, Hi Tech City, Hyderabad on 10th June 2009 and was attended by doctors & staff of Apollo Health City along with family & friends of the MCEM recipients. Local media had a heavy presence.

The College of Emergency Medicine conferred its honorary Fellowship (FCEM) to Dr. Hariprasad, CEO of Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad for his extraordinary contribution to the specialty of emergency medicine in India. He is the first physician outside United Kingdom to receive an honorary FCEM and also the first to recieve after the College was incorporated into the Royal Charter.

This EmergencyMedicine.in video shows Dr. Gautam Bodiwala, President of International Federation of Emergency Medicine (IFEM) addressing the audience followed by Dr. Hariprasad, CEO of Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad recieving the honorary FCEM from Dr. Ed Glucksman, Vice President of College of Emergency Medicine (UK).

Dr. Hariprasad was one of the founders of the Society of Emergency Medicine in India (SEMI) which was formed in 1999. He organized the first Indian conference in EM in the same year (EMCON 1999) and also the first International Conference in EM in 2002 (INTEM 2002), both hosted by Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad. Switching over to EM from anesthesia, Dr. Prasad was responsible for starting the 1 year structured training program in EM known as Fellowship in EM at Apollo Hyderabad in 2000 which was subsequently affiliated to the Royal College of General Practitioners, UK.

In 2005, he launched the MCEM emergency medicine residency training program in collaboration with CEM, UK at Apollo Hyderabad. This 3 year post graduate training program for doctors is now available at 5 other Apollo Hospitals in the country i.e at Apollo Hospitals Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad & Kolkota. There are more than 55 doctors currently in the MCEM program. Dr. Hariprasad was also responsible for starting one of the first EMS systems in the country known as National Network of Emergency Services with the universal emergency number 1066, in the year 2001.

The College also conferred its membership by examination (MCEM) to 6 young physicians who had passed the MCEM Part B & C exit exams in 2008. The certificates were handed by Dr. Ed Glucksman who is the Vice President of College of Emergency Medicine (Academic & International).

Dr. Gautam Bodiwala, President of the International Federation of Emergency Medicine (IFEM) and also the CEM International Representative, felicitated the occasion. The Registrar of CEM examinations & Chair of Court of Examiners, Dr. Ruth Brown along with the Chief Examiner for London & Chair of the Higher Training Committee for London, Dr. Helen Cugnoni were also present during the ceremony. They were here for the conduct & supervision of the June 2009 diet of MCEM Part A, B & C exams at Apollo Hyderabad.

LEFT Dr. Mahesh Joshi, Head of Emergency Medicine, Apollo Health City, Hyderabad and CEO of National Network of Emergency Services, gives the welcome address to the audience. RIGHT Dr. A.N.Venkatesh recieves his MCEM certificate from Dr. Ed Glucksman, Vice President of College of Emergency Medicine, UK


Standing (L to R)
Dr. Mahesh Joshi - Head of Emergency Medicine Apollo Hyderabad, Dr. P. E. R. Subrahmanayam , Dr. Indraneel Dasgupta, Dr. A. N. Venkatesh, Dr. Nina Laxmikanth, Dr. Satinder Kaur, Dr. Pooja Jain and Dr. Hariprasad - CEO Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad.

Sitting (L to R)
Dr. Ed Glucksman - Vice President of CEM, Dr. Gautam Bodiwala - President of IFEM, Dr. Ruth Brown - Registrar of CEM Examinations and Dr. Helen - Senior Examiner in CEM.




LEFT Dr. Pooja Jain is congratulated by her father on her MCEM certification and for being one of the first credentialed emergency physicians from India. RIGHT Apollo Emergency Medicine Faculty. Left to Right Dr. Imron - Apollo Hyderabad, Dr. Venkatesh - HOD Apollo Bangalore, Dr. Mahesh Joshi - HOD Apollo Hyderabad, Dr. Ketan Patel - HOD Apollo Ahmedabad, Dr. Priya - HOD Apollo Delhi and Dr. Dhavapalani - HOD Apollo Chennai.

This gathering was one of the most important events in emergency medicine in India and points to many conclusions.
One, the absence of recognition of emergency medicine specialty by the Medical Council of India has not prevented the development & maturation of EM postgraduate residency training, examination & certification; which is recognized internationally.
Two, the tendency of MCEM qualified candidates to occupy EM departments at various other hospitals within Apollo Group coupled with Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation of these facilities, is establishing high quality emergency medicine in this private sector.
Three, interactions with the heads of EM departments of various Apollo Hospitals are indicating an unprecedented level of cooperation at a national level to carry clinical & academic EM across the entire spectrum of Apollo facilities numbering more than 44 hospitals, with Apollo Hyderabad being the center of the hub.

EmergencyMedicine.in salutes Apollo Group for the recognition and the continued contribution to the field of emergency medicine in India, since more than a decade!
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