Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center This is the online version of the Kerala Center News letter. Vol.4, 2010

Kerala Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi speaking at the interactive session organized by the Kerala Center in Elmont , New York . Seated in the head table are Dr. Thomas Abraham, Jose Chummar and Dr. Usha Titus.

Kerala Center officials with Kerala Health Ministry delegation. Front Row, from left to right: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Jose Chummar, Dr. B, Satheesan, Minister P.K. Sreemathi, Dr. Usha Titus, Dr. Meenu Hariharan, Dr. Parameswaran N. Hari, Dr. Roy Thomas, Dr. Jame Abraham. Back Row: James Thottam, Thomas Thottam, Abraham Thomas, Varghese Kunnumpuram, Raju Thomas, John Paul, Alex Esthappan and Chacko Koyickaleth.

Kerala Health Minister Interacts with Community at the Kerala Center The Indian American Kerala Cultural and Civic Center hosted luncheon reception and interactive meeting with Kerala Health Minister P.K. Sreemathi Teacher on July 5th. Minister Sreemathi was a brief tour of America to understand the bone marrow registry so as to set it up in Kerala. The Center’s President Jose Chummar in his welcoming address said that the Center has been providing platform to all visiting dignitaries from Kerala since inception in 1990. The Center’s board member and founding member Dr. Thomas Abraham in his introduction of Minister Sreemathi said that American Malayalees have been helping Kerala in many charitable, educational and health related projects and would welcome such interactive session to explore avenues of more cooperation. v Minister Sreemathi, in her remarks explained Kerala Govt.’s accomplishments in getting medical services to ordinary people. Some of these include providing cancer treatment free to children below 18 years, making sure hospitals have medicine supply, extend length of service of govt. doctors and setting up a separate council for nurses for their welfare. The interactive session was moderated by Mr. Jose Kadapuram of Kairali TV. During the question/answer session, Minister Sreemathi said that the Kerala Health Department has been exploring to set up ‘Bone Marrow Matching Tests’ and Plasanta Cord Blood Bank.’ “We are looking for help from American Malayalees to set up these new initiatives,” said Minister Sreemathi. The delegation included Kerala Govt. Health Secretary Dr. Usha Titus, Kerala Govt. Medical Education Secretary Dr. Meenu Hariharan, Malabar Cancer Center Director Dr. B. Satheesan. Prominent American Malayalee physicians present at the meeting included Dr. Roy Thomas of Chicago who hosts a medical show at Kairali TV, Dr. Jame Abraham of Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center ( Morgantown , WV ) and Dr. Parameswaran N. Hari, Associate Professor of Medicine and Clinical Director of Blood and Marrow Transplant Program at Medical College of Wisconsin