Who is Indian-origin doctor Bobby Mukkamala to head US medical body
Indian-origin doctor Bobby Mukkamala has been sworn in as the president of the American Medical Association (AMA). He has become the first medic of Indian descent to head America's largest and most influential physician organisation. The 53-year-old doctor is also the first AMA president of South Asian descent. Mukkamala has roots in Andhra Pradesh.Delivering his first speech as the 180th president of the medical body, Mukkamala reflected on his journey, saying, "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 healthcare seemed a very distant dream."advertisementMukkamala underwent surgery to remove an 8-cm temporal lobe tumour after it was discovered in November last year, according to AMC.
Addressing the 178-year-old organisation's members, he expressed concern about the US healthcare system and vowed to improve it."There are tremendous gaps in our healthcare system that require our attention. And it all starts with timely access to care. That's why continuing to fight for adequate health coverage for our patients is so important," he said.Mukkamala also added, "Why fighting to repair and rebuild our physician workforce is so important. Why fighting to spend more money on our patients and less on healthcare bureaucracy is so important. Why fighting to remove the barriers to care that impact so many people is so important. And why fighting for a sustainable, equitable healthcare model is so important," he added.PATIENTS DESERVE BETTER: BOBBY MUKKAMALAadvertisementMukkamala emphasised that he undoubtedly received the highest standard of care. But for many patients, the process of getting care comes with far more troubling questions than reassuring answers: whether insurance will cover a procedure, how much a medication costs, or how long they will wait to see a specialist for something as serious as a lump in their neck."These are questions that a vast majority of patients have to ask themselves. They experience a system that is ailing and in serious trouble," he added."Our health system needs the input of many skilled physicians — physician leaders across every state and speciality — who are working together with incredible purpose and urgency," he said."It needs the AMA more than ever, with leaders in our profession speaking with one firm and commanding voice."The AMA House of Delegates' meeting ran from June 6 to June 11, according to the statement issued by the AMA.WHO IS BOBBY MUKKAMALA?Bobby Mukkamala was born to immigrant parents who came to the US from Andhra Pradesh.While addressing the AMC members, he said his grandfather owned a small farm — just 30 acres of land — which he sold to earn the money to put his children through school. "By the time my father graduated, all the land was gone," he added.advertisementHis father is a radiologist and his mother is a paediatrician.Bobby Mukkamala earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School and went on to complete his residency at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. His wife, Nita Kulkarni, is an obstetrician-gynecologist.He and his wife established the Endowed Health Professions Scholarships at the University of Michigan, Flint, in 2012. They have two adult children, Nikhil, a biomedical engineer, and Deven, a PhD candidate in political science, according to the AMC statement.Mukkamala, who has been active in the AMA since residency, is chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, serving as a strong voice in advocating for evidence-based policies to end the nation's overdose epidemic.The physician of Indian origin had previously received the AMA Foundation's "Excellence in Medicine" Leadership Award.He was elected to the AMA Council on Science and Public Health in 2009 and served as its chair from 2016 to 2017, before being elected to the AMA Board of Trustees in 2017 and 2021. He has served as a member of the Michigan State Medical Society Board of Directors since 2011, as board chair for two years, and as its president.advertisementHe is also a past president of the Genesee County Medical Society (GCMS) and continues to serve on the GCMS Board of Directors.
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