HISTORY OF IAMM TAPC CHAPTER

HISTORY INSCRIBED

IAMM AP CHAPTER :

THE ORIGINS AND EVOLUTION AS IAMM TAPC CHAPTER

Written by :

Professor Dr P.Sangram,

Former Sr Registrar, Edinburgh group of hospitals, UK; Prof MNR Medical College, Sangareddy;

Prof Sri Sai Dental College of Surgery, Vikarabad; Former Director, IPM.

Dr K.Amarender Reddy,

Retd. Director, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Hyderabad

(Published in : Bulletin of IAMM TAPC Chapter : January 2017)

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Six decades ago, Medical Microbiology was a part of Pathology Department and remained so for a long time. In fact, the faculty was totally dominated by pathologists. This was the situation both at national and state level all over the country. The rapid development of sub specialties like bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology and immunology had virtually demanded a separate faculty for Medical Microbiology.

In the then united state of AP, a separate MD (Medical Microbiology) course was started in Andhra Medical college, Visakhapatnam. The first post graduate in MD (Medical Microbiology) was the Late Dr

P.V Ramana Rao, an eminent microbiologist and former Director, Institute of Preventive Medicine. The other colleagues were Dr Ram Narayana Murthy and Dr C.S Bhaskaran.

Though a separate faculty of Medical Microbiology had evolved, the government did not create a separate department for Medical Microbiology. This reluctance of the government resulted in the microbiologists not having their own identity either in academics or research. They had to depend on the Head of the combined department of Pathology & Microbiology.

A good number of qualified microbiologists boldly came out of the reputed institutions like AMC, Vishakapatnam, and GMC, Guntur in protest. The rest followed suit. It was in the late fifties that the efforts of Dr.P.V. Ramana Rao who went hammer and tongs to fight out with the government and university which resulted in the creation of the Department of Microbiology amalgamating parasitology, which hitherto was in pathology.

Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad took the pride of establishing the separate Department of Medical Microbiology with its own infrastructure, equipment, and faculty and guess who got the honor of heading it? It was Dr. PV Ramana Rao who became the first Professor of Medical Microbiology in the state.

Let us now explore the beginning of a chapter for medical microbiologists in the country. About 70 yrs back, there was a combined association of Pathologists and Microbiologists (IAPM), which continued till the early 70’s and was again dominated by pathologists.

There was no scope for microbiologists to be appointed even as office bearers. The growing number of microbiologists and hectic progress in academics and research accelerated the process to detach the microbiology component from the combined association. So, was born the IAMM at the central level in 1976 at Kasturba Medical College, Manipal. More than 1500 members have enrolled since then. In no time, it became very popular stimulating the states to follow suit.

The AP state chapter of IAMM took birth on 5th October 1997 with the active role played by some of the senior-most microbiologists like Dr K.Rajyalaxmi, Dr Nandan Singh, Dr P.V .Ramana rao, Dr C.S. Bhaskaran, Dr Leela Naidu, Dr. M.V.Rama Rao, Dr.R.R.Rao, Dr Dinesh Raj Mathur. Dr Vijayalaxmi, Dr V.Laxmi and Dr Savithri Sharma and support from many others, in a meeting held at Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad. Dr. Sangram, then Additional Director of Institute of Preventive Medicine, initiated the creation of the separate chapter of IAMM AP, with the support of all the senior microbiologists . It is a coincidence, that it is the formation day of Institute of Preventive Medicine too (formed on 5th October 1981).

The state unit grew like a banyan tree. It not only went ahead in membership drive, but also elevated the academic activity to supreme heights by conducting combined seminars with other departments, coordinating with its parent body. It is a matter of great honor and pride for our state fraternity that Dr Savitri Sharma of LVPEI served as Editor of Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology for a long time.

It may also not be out of the way to mention that three of its eminent members, namely Dr.P.V Ramana Rao, Dr R.R.Rao, and Dr. M.V. Ramanamma scripted text books of Medical Microbiology, which became popular in the entire country. They are also followed by dental students and paramedics like BSc (Nursing), BPT, DMLT, BSc MLT.

The first state chapter was held in 1998 in Siddartha Medical College, Vijayawada, with Dr. K.Sreerama Rao asOrganizing Secretary , and is being conducted without a break since then.

The IAMM AP Chapter website was created by Dr. D.S.Murty, on 15 August 2006, who has been single handedly keeping it vibrant, informative and interactive all these years and will be doing so for a long time for us to cherish his role.

With a view to increase the frequency of interactions, the twin city microbiologists meet (under IAMM — State Chapter) was formed under the chairmanship of Dr Rajyalaxmi. It has conducted several meetings by rotation in the various medical colleges, hospitals and institutes of Microbiology.

After state reorganisation, the association modified the chapter name from AP Chapter to IAMM TAPC(Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Combined) Chapter. All in all, we the medical microbiologists are proud to have realized our dream and living it to the best of our ability