Sabarmati Medical association is now one of well established and most active medical association of ahmedabad. In the era of 1960-1970 only few doctors were practicing in sabarmati. Unfortunately the interpersonal relationship and harmony between practicing doctors of same area was not as cordial as supposed to be. Most of them were so estranged that they would not even greet each other while they cross on the ways. So few of them took initiative to gather all of them by establishing an association of practicing doctors of sabarmati area. Initially only 6 to 8 members got enrolled in SMA. The founder members of SMA were Dr Jesingbhai, Dr N P patel, Dr Gaurang Bhatt, Dr D P Shah, Dr P M Kapadia, Dr Chandrakant Gandhi and Dr Navinbhai Mehta. The credit of making sabarmati medical association goes to all founder members instead of individual. In initial phase of SMA there was no specific place for meetings. In those days meetings were held turn by turn at every member’s residence. It was considered to be matter of honors but later turned out to be indirectly burden on smadoctors family members in terms of arrangement and servings. It was big unsolved issue for every meeting. Meanwhile H H Patel high School’s board members Dr Jesingbhai and Dr N P Patel came forward to resolve the problem by offering HH Patel school’s premises for SMA meeting. They provided not only place but also school’s peon staff for assistance during meeting activities. It draws respect to school staffs recalling that they were not only helping in meeting arrangement but also preparing refreshment to be served to doctors after meeting session. They were also circulating meeting circular door to door at doctors clinic without expecting any monetary gain. Initially every month only one meeting was arranged. Later occasionally family picnics were also executed. This pattern of meeting continued for many years. Few rare photographs of that era can be viewed in gallery section of website. Later few of senior doctors came forward to arrange meetings in restaurants by taking sponsorship of pharmaceutical companies. Initially because of limited numbers of smadoctors there were only president and secretary posts as office bearers and they were holding the same post for 2 to 3 years. Gradually SMA members keep on increasing and today it has reached up to 330 members. With large numbers of smadoctors, association decided to distribute the managerial responsibilities to few more enthusiastic doctors, So office bearer format had been changed and expanded to newer posts of president, vice president, secretary and treasurer as well their working tenure was reduce to 1 year from 2-3 years. Thereafter a panel of senior doctors was selected as advisory board in committee for their expert opinion, guidance and better organization,
The SMA seed which was sowed 42 years back has now grown up and blossoming with great fragrance of love, co-operation and harmony. Along with basic scientific CME activity now SMA organizes health awareness public seminars, festival celebrations, sports activities, kids activities, cultural programs and family picnics. On recalling SMA history a great respect and honor gets generated for founders of Sabarmati Medical association. These all interesting and authentic information could be accumulated and compiled only by personal talks with senior founder SMA members Dr jesingbhai Shah, Dr Gaurang Bhatt, Dr D P Shah, Dr P M Kapadia, Dr Sukumar Kansara, Dr Jayprakash Vyas, and Dr S N Ajmera. SMA is thankful and highly obliged to all of them who helped to recall and revive the History.
