APPNE led the organisation of a landmark meeting on 3/11/19 bringing together National Diaspora and BAME medical fraternities and organisations with the intention of working on common objectives and issues affecting International Medical Graduates (IMGs) and local graduates from different ethnic diaspora. The topic of discussion included recruitment, fairness and representation of IMG doctors in matters pertaining to leadership, cultural understanding and unison. The meeting offered the opportunity to share the experience of individual organisations and working effectively on relevant issues. The representation and turnout was impressive underpinning the desire of such a platform and included members of BAPIO, BIDA, APPNE, Bangladeshi Doctors Association, MDDA, Nigerian Medical Association, Srilankan Doctors Association and Irish Pakistani Doctors Association. There were video links from Dublin to Calcutta. Prof Iqbal Singh Chair of Equality and Diversity forum of GMC chaired the meeting. 

The meeting was attended by Prof Iqbal Singh GMC EDI Lead, Dr Ramesh Mehta and Dr JS Bamrah (BAPIO), Dr Amir Burney, Mr Irfan Akhtar, Mr Ayaz Abbasi and Dr Shahid Latif (APPNE), Dr Sanjay Arya and Dr Murthy Motupalli (BIDA) ,Dr Mohammed Alam and Dr Khondoker Imran Mahmud (Bangladeshi Doctors Association), Dr Arshad Latif (BIMA) British Islamic Medical Association, Dr Kamal Nasar Sri Lankan Doctors Representative, Mr Ibrahim Baloji (Nigeria Doctors Association), Dr Arshad Khan Muslim Doctors and Dentists Association(MDDA) and Mr Khalid Sarwar Khan from the Irish Pakistani Professionals Association (IPPA) 

The members attending appreciated APPNEs efforts in bringing this idea to fruition. APPNE would like to extend it gratitude to Irfan Akhtar & Ayaz Abbasi for their hard work and visionary planning. We thank our media including GEO TV and Imran Munawar and media personnel from ARY. A thank you to Mr Naseem Waraich (APPNE) for liaising with media. 

ATTENDANCE 

Mr. Naseem Waraich and Mr. Salman Mirza conducted a highly successful ST3 Surgical Interviews Course recently at Manor Hospital, Walsall. The workshop was very well attended and received a number of positive comments appreciating the efforts of the organisers and facilitators.