AAEMI celebrates its 5th birthday this year. From a group of 8 founding members, AAEMI has grown to over 100. In the last 5 years, our members have consistently been at the fore-front in India, volunteering their time to lecture, do paramedic training, and ACLS, BLS and Trauma provider and instructor training. They have also been active in promoting research, faculty development, and residency training in India. Many individuals have donated instruments, equipment and even ambulances! Most importantly, AAEMI members have given India their time.

Since it formation, AAEMI has partnered with SEMI (the Society for Emergency Medicine, India) to do an annual EM conference, bringing together the best academic minds in EM to teach, network, exchange ideas, propose solutions and to give each other support in the constant battle to have EM recognized as a specialty in India. Their efforts have proved fairly successful, as in every state, EM is increasingly being recognized as an essential service. The infrastructure to handle patients with a wide range of emergency conditions is developing, if not quickly, then at least, surely. Progress that occurred over a span of 30 or 40 years in developed nations is happening all over India in just 5 to 10 years. In this milieu, AAEMI can play its most vital role.

As promised, we went to India in January 2006 to help plan the EM conference in November. A group of 8 physicians from 5 institutions in the US traveled to Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Delhi and Kolkata, giving lectures, meeting with physicians, educators, government officials and local institutions. Wherever we went, the request was the same: they need faculty to help provide training to all levels of emergency care providers.

The greatest resources we have in AAEMI are our knowledge, dedication and personal commitment to meeting India’s needs. Our greatest talent is in listening, teaching, and adapting what we know. Institutions in India are looking for EM physicians, RN’s, Paramedics and EMT’s to spend a few days, a few weeks, or a few months to help them train their workforce. I believe that AAEMI can help meet this challenge by organizing a regular, sustainable stream of individuals who are willing to go to India to teach, and to offer their expertise and experience at all levels.

Finally, it is my great privilege to formally announce India’s Second International Conference on Emergency Medicine and Disaster Preparedness, INTEM 2006. The conference will be held at the Ashok Hotel in Delhi, from November 17 to 19th, 2006. This conference will be a cooperative venture that includes leaders from SEMI, AIIMS (All India Institute of Medicine), AAPI (American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin), ACEP, AAEM, and of course, AAEMI. Faculty will be drawn from a host of institutions from all over the world including India, USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, Canada and others.

I hope that you will all join us in November in Delhi to help make INTEM 2006 a resounding success!

Respectfully yours,
Indrani A. Sheridan, MD
President, American Academy for Emergency Medicine in India
February 2006.

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