Association of Indian Pharmacists in America Celebrated Diwali, with Gaiety and Fervor
Harish Bhatt, president of the renowned Association of Indian Pharmacists in America (AIPHA), hosted an exciting 28th Annual Diwali Gala, with gaiety and fervor, on Saturday, October 3, 2015 in the Pearl Banquets, 1480 Lake St, Roselle, IL 60172. The event was attended by over 500 members, along with their families and friends.
The occasion was also used to discuss latest trends in pharmaceutical industry as the Association believes in the adage that "work and pleasure should always go together".
Monir Chaudhaury, Honorary Consul of Bangladesh, who was Chief Guest at the event, said that with a strong presence of pharmacists of Indian origin, across length and breadth of the US, the role of AIPHA has assumed much greater importance. He congratulated Indian pharmacists for their association with the noble profession of pharmacy which provides, among other things, an opportunity to serve different sections of society.
Chaudhaury added that the annual event provides a rich opportunity to its members to network with co-professionals, to keep themselves abreast with latest developments in their domain, and, above all, to contribute to promotion of their cultural heritage by celebrating Diwali.
Harish Bhatt, President, AIPHA said that while a large majority of Indian pharmacists work in hospitals and provide high quality services to customers, a considerable number among them opt for entrepreneurship and set up pharmacies of their own. "They not only solve their own problem of unemployment but also that of others by creating additional employment opportunities", he said with a sense of accomplishment.
Bhatt added that Indian pharmacists who set up their pharmacies in disadvantaged areas, cater to inadequately met health-related needs of people, and thereby address a socially-relevant challenge.
"On the occasion of Diwali, the festival which is linked to wealth and prosperity, we will make you a little more richer tonight by distributing checks towards the rebates generated by the Association by purchasing medicines in a collective fashion", Bhatt made the announcement which was a pleasant surprise to the members. He thanked Mahendra "Mayo" Patel for long hours that he committed towards preparation of the checks. .
Bhatt paid rich tributes to late Naren Patel, a renowned fellow pharmacist, who became a role model by combining professionalism and philanthropy. He congratulated his sons, Neal and Raj, wife, Sumitraben and sister, Binaben, for continuing the philanthropic initiatives of Naren Patel.
Raja krishnamoorthi, the Democratic Nominee and Dr. Madhuvanti Ghose from Art Institute of Chicago graced the occasion.
Key players from the US pharmaceutical industry, including Cardinal Drugs, Mckesson drugs, Hd Smith, Smith drugs, Windmill vitamins, Drip drop, Pharma logistics, DAA pharmacy software, Alpine drugs, Script pro robotics, who are vendors of AIPHA, also attended the event.
The event had support of a large number of eminent business houses who participated in the event by setting up booths and providing useful information about their new initiatives, emerging product lines, and future endeavors. A few booths which represented key players, committed to charity and to create health awareness, attracted the attention of the participants.
Classic Production promoted by the dynamic Mr. Kamlesh Bhuptani (Chaku) with over a decade of experience in providing quality entertainment worldwide. With more than a thousand shows staged across the globe, in USA, Canada, West Indies, London, Belgium, South Africa, Malawi, Kenya, Dar-e-salaam, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana presented the melodious music program, presented by Sa Re Ga Ma Finalists, Vishwajeet Borwankar and Shivranjini Pandit added to festive mood of the participants at the event.
The celebration of Diwali included lighting of lamps and candles at the venue, signifying the triumph of light over darkness. The participants were seen wishing each other for prosperity and wealth.
The event concluded with a delicious dinner, enjoyed by one and all. AIPHA, with its network of members across the US, has emerged as an important association of professionals.
Executive Board: Harish Bhatt (President), Rajesh Chotalia (Vice President), Jitesh Patel (Secretary), Haresh Khakhkar (Joint Secretary), Vitthal Patel (Treasurer), Jignesh Gandhi (Joint Treasurer) and the Board of Directors included Tushar Mehta, Snehal Bhavsar, Jyotin Parikh, Gajanan Trivedi, Manu Patel, Shital Manek, Kishore Chugh, Mahendra R. Patel, Ambalal S. Patel and Ambalal H. Patel.