Meet Dr Bobby Mukkamala, the first Indian-origin president of American Medical Association
Indian origin doctor Bobby Mukkamala becomes the president of the American Medical Association. He is the first Indian-American to lead the organisation. Mukkamala recently recovered from brain surgery. He calls for healthcare reforms in the US. He aims to address health disparities and physician shortages. Mukkamala also advocates for accessible and affordable care.
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Who is Bobby Mukkamala?
Indian origin doctor, Bobby Mukkamala , was sworn in as the 180th president of the American Medical Association AMA ). He is the first physician of Indian heritage to lead the influential organisation.Mukkamala had recently undergone a surgery for an 8-cm brain tumour, according to the American Medical Association.Reflecting on his journey, Mukkamala said, 'As I lay in recovery from brain surgery at the Mayo Clinic, with tubes and wires monitoring my every movement, this night — this honour — this opportunity to improve health care seemed a very distant dream.'Addressing AMA members and guests, Mukkamala called for an urgent need to reform the US healthcare system. 'There are tremendous gaps in our health care system that require our attention,' he said.'That's why continuing to fight for adequate health coverage for our patients is so important... and why fighting for a sustainable, equitable health care model is so important,' he added.Mukkamla was born to Indian immigrant doctors and completed his medical degree at the University of Michigan and residency at Loyola University in Chicago and returned to Flint to practise medicine alongside his wife, Nita Kulkarni, an obstetrician-gynaecologist. The couple have two sons, Nikhil, a biomedical engineer, and Deven, a PhD candidate in political science.He has been a longstanding advocate within the AMA, chairing the Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force and working on evidence-based policies to combat the overdose crisis.His service work includes leading the Community Foundation of Greater Flint during the water crisis, with a focus on projects that helped mitigate the impact of lead on children.In his speech, Mukkamala credited his parents. 'I stand here tonight on the shoulders I quite literally stood on as a kid,' he said. 'Those of my parents, Apparao and Sumathi, two immigrants from India who settled in this country believing it offered them — and their future children — opportunities that simply were not possible at home.'Mukkamala also used his first speech as AMA president to highlight rising health disparities in underserved cities like Flint. 'Life expectancy in Flint is about 12 years shorter than its suburbs,' he said, adding that he and his wife have witnessed those disparities firsthand through their work.He further said that more doctors may leave private practice because of financial burdens and a growing shortage of physicians. 'Where are our patients supposed to turn?' he asked, recounting how a patient preferred to wait six weeks for his return after surgery than seek alternative care.As president, Mukkamala aims to continue advocating for accessible, affordable care and greater government investment in research and public health. 'Our patients deserve better. Our physicians deserve better. Our nation deserves better,' he said.
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