The Indian Medical Association (IMA) was established on December 28, 1928, as a result of the efforts of a group of patriotic doctors who were deeply involved in the freedom struggle, led by Mahatma Gandhi. Recognizing the need for a medical organization distinct from the British Medical Association, which was the only medical body in the country at that time, these visionary doctors formed the All India Medical Association. This initiative was formalized at the 5th All India Medical Conference in Calcutta, under the presidency of Dr. G. V. Deshmukh of Bombay, where a resolution was adopted to establish an organization dedicated to the promotion and advancement of medical sciences, the improvement of public health and medical education in India, and the preservation of the honor and dignity of the medical profession. In 1930, the organization was renamed the Indian Medical Association and was officially registered under the Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1860.
The IMA became one of the 27 founding members of the World Medical Association in 1948. Today, with over 2,000 branches and 400,000 members nationwide, it stands as the world’s largest medical professional organization.
The IMA Thiruvananthapuram Branch, one of the oldest and largest branches in the country, was established in 1933. The branch’s founding leaders were Dr. K. Raman Thampi (President) and Dr. C.O. Karunakaran (Secretary). Subsequent leaders included Dr. Ravi Varma (2nd President), Dr. Kesavan Nair (2nd Secretary), Dr. Mary Poonen Lukose (3rd President), Dr. S. Padmanabha Pillai (3rd Secretary), Dr. Jacob Thaliyath (4th President), Dr. B.M. Ambady (4th Secretary), Dr. C.O. Karunakaran (5th President), and Dr. P. Krishna Moorthy (5th Secretary).
Initially, the branch operated without a dedicated office, holding meetings at the homes of office bearers or at the General Hospital. A major milestone was reached during Dr. B.M. Ambady’s tenure with the construction of the current IMA branch office on a 20-cent plot of land allotted to the IMA and the Red Cross Society. The foundation stone was laid by Kerala Governor Sri. V.V. Giri on October 13, 1963, and the building was inaugurated by Union Health Minister Dr. Sushila Nayyar on January 14, 1967.