After 31 years city gets IAP’s Presidentship
   Date :16-Nov-2023

city gets IAP 
 
 
 
Staff Reporter
In a momentous victory, Dr Vasant Khalatkar, senior Paediatrician of the city, has been elected as the National President of Indian Academy of Paediatricians (IAP). Dr Khalatkar became the first President after 31 years to win the polls conducted for the prestigious post. Dr Uday Bodhankar had won IAP polls in 1992. IAP is a prestigious organisation with over 40,000 paediatricians as members, and more than 350 branches across the country. Its President is chosen through the democratic process of election. This time, the election went on for 15 days with six paediatricians from different cities vying for the post. Dr Khalatkar emerged victorious by a whopping margin of 2,000 votes. Dr Vasant Khalatkar has been working in the fields of child health, leadership with continued dedication and perseverance. Expressing happiness over getting elected as IAP President, Dr Khalatkar told ‘The Hitavada’, “I have a dream of starting a huge charitable hospital for mother and child at Nagpur which will cater affordable services to needy children from Central India. Child care in rural areas can be improved with PPP model and by training paediatricians.
 
I have adopted few special kids and treating them with charity since last 10 years.” Dr Khalatkar, is passionately working as Director and Consultant at Khalatkar Hospital for mother and child for last 34 years and at Colours Critical Care Children Hospital. Dr Khalatkar had worked as the Chief Organising Chairman of the 55th National Conference of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (PEDICON), which was held in Nagpur in 2018, a grand event witnessed the presence of 9,000 paediatricians from across the nation. Soon he got nationwide recognition as a disciplined organiser and visionary leader which made him Chairperson of Academy of Paediatric Neurology in 2021. He organised CMEs in Northeast region where the paediatricians were deprived of updated knowledge.
 
Epitome of his tenure was Neuropedicon, the national conference of the academy held in Srinagar in 2021. It was the first conference held in the State of Jammu and Kashmir after 30 years. He transformed this impossible task into a reality which was attended by over 800 paediatricians. He had arranged different CMEs in North East regions like Guwahati, Imphal, Gangtok and other cities. Dr Khalatkar’s contributions include his practice as paediatrician and writing of different books’ chapters and papers. During his tenure as President of COMHAD, an International organisation of UK which works in the field of disabled children, he did remarkable improvement in services rendered to children with special needs. Dr Khalatkar gives credit of this achievement to his teachers and seniors including patron of AOP, Nagpur, Dr Uday Bodhankar; Dr Yashwant Patil and Team of Academy of Paediatricians, Nagpur under President Dr Sanjay Pakhmode and Secretary Dr Yogesh Tembhekar, colleagues especially Dr Vinit Wankhede, Dr Amarjeet Wagh, Dr Jayant Upadhye, Dr Sanjay Deshmukh, Dr Pavin Pagey, Dr Anil Raut, Dr Mohib Haque, Dr R G Patil, Dr Milind Mandlik, current office-bearers of parent organisation of Team Nagpur AOP and Maharashtra AOP and all his colleagues, family and his patients.