A Short History:
Indian Medical Association, Madurai Branch happens to be the oldest association in India. It was on 20th March 1928, thirteen Medical Practitioners of Madurai City that included Dr.G.D.Potham, Dr.A.Narayana Menon, Dr.N.Suryanarayanan and others formed our association in the name of Madura Medical Association at Victoria Edward Hall at an annual subscription of Rs. 1-00 only. Dr.G.D.Potham was the first President and Dr.A.Narayana Menon was the first Secretary.
It is interesting to note that an all India body for medical profession was formed only on 28th December 1928 at Calcutta in the name of All India Medical Association. The name of the association was changed into Madurai District Medical Association on 29th June, 1935. It became an affiliate to the renamed Indian Medical Association on 7th March 1936.
Later it became a regular branch when state branch was formed in 1945. Our Association was duly registered under Societies Act in the year 1934. This branch was nurtured and grown to the magnificent status with membership of 1900 today (2016). Today our branch is the largest in Tamilnadu.
Right from its inception this association has been pursuing excellent academic activities in the form of regular monthly Clinical meetings and CME programmes, Social and Community activities in the form of medical checkup and blood donation camps and now in CME programme in Tamil to lay public of Madurai City.
The Association hosted the All India Medical Conference in December 1946 at Madura College which was inaugurated by Sir. A.L. Mudaliar and our Madurai branch hosted the State Conference in the years 1954, 1972,1986 and 1997.
The activities of our branch have brought in many awards at National and State level to our branch as well as individual members at many consecutive years. Our branch has provided many state Presidents, Vice-Presidents and National Vice-Presidents.
The Silver Jubilee of our branch was celebrated at its own newly constructed building No.1, Panagal Road, Madurai on 21st and 22nd February 1953. Dr.U.Krishna Rao gave the Jubilee address. The Golden Jubilee of the association was celebrated on 16th October 1977 at Madurai Medical College which was inaugurated by Dr.R.Subramanian, Madras. The Diamond Jubilee of the branch was celebrated on 30th October 1988 at Hotel Tamilnadu, Madurai.
IMA, Madurai branch reached another milestone by celebrating its Platinum Jubilee on 01.02.2004 and national president Dr. P.V.George was Chief Guest.
In the beginning years, the meeting of the Association were conducted at different places in Madurai city, namely Victoria Edward Hall, YMCA Hall Government Erskine Hospital and various schools of Madurai City.
It was on 18th November 1950 that about one acre of land at No.1, Panagal Road at which our IMA exists today was purchased by its then President, Dr.P.Vadamalayan from Madurai Municipality at the Cost of Rs. 50 per cent. The first building of IMA, Madurai branch was inaugurated on 21st February 1953 by Thiru. Karumuthu Thiagaraja Chettiar, an eminent industrialist of Madurai City during the Silver Jubilee Celebration of the Association.
As the branch expanded another hall was constructed extending the first half and this hall named as Dr.S.V.K.S.Thangarajan Memorial extension hall was inaugurated on 27th June 1980 by Dr.M.Natarajan, Madras. A Dining hall with 1000 sq.ft., two rooms, kitchen and a complete compound wall in the front and a partial one in the eastern wing were constructed. The new hall named as Dr.P.Vadamalayan Memorial Hall was inaugurated on 28th August 1993 by the then senior most member Dr.T.V.Venkatesan. Another construction work with approximate 1400 sq.ft., consisting of an extension dining hall named as Dr.T.Subramanian Extension Hall was inaugurated on 28th April 1996 by the Past- President and senior member Dr.S.Shanmugam.
There was a long felt need for a bigger Conference Hall since the present Meeting Hall can accommodate only 200 persons. It was achieved during the Platinum Jubilee celebration by inauguration of new Conference Hall built over the existing IMA buildings on area of 5,500 sq.ft., at the approximate cost of Rs. 30 lakhs and it was inaugurated on 1st February 2004 by one of our senior most member and Past President Dr.K.A.Ramalingam. The new beautiful hall named as "ASI Madurai Branch ASICON 1999 Hall" with granite flooring, marble staircase, two guestrooms and accommodation facilities for 750 persons is another milestone in the long history of IMA Madurai branch.
The entire credit must go to Building Improvement Trust headed by Dr. R. Alagappan as Chairman, Dr. N. Mathirajan as Secretary and members almost all of them were the Past Presidents of IMA Madurai Branch. We are thankful for them for their commendable work.
In the year 2006 new Building Improvement Committee was constituted by way of election and Dr.M.Aamanullah as Chairman, Dr.S.S.Annamalaisamy as Secretary were elected by the remaining 10 elected members of the Building Improvement Committee almost all of them were senior Professors with renounced knowledge and popularity among then members of the IMA. The following works were taken up during this regime:
The following works were taken up during this regime: 1. Air Conditioning of IMA CME Hall with audiovisual equipments. 2. The area surrounding the main building has been leveled, cleaned making it fit to raise a garden and Construction of Guest Houses in future. 3. Dining Hall Extension work is in progress and the work will be completed in the near future.
Right from its inception IMA Madurai Branch is being administered by regularly elected team of office bearers and at present it is being run by elected Governing Body members and six office bearers.
The following free medical checkup camps, Lay public education programmes etc are conducted regularly every month.
