Doctors attending the three-day international conference on Challenges in Family Medicine organised by the General Practitioners Association (GPA) between January 26 and 28 have come forward in large numbers to help the victims of the earthquake that rocked Gujarat on Republic Day.

While the GPA managed to raise over Rs. 1.25 lakh as donations from the doctors on the first day of the conference, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) has called on physicians, anaestheticians and surgeons from among the delegates to join a relief party that it plans to send to give succour to the quake victims.

In the face of the tragedy, the death toll of which is likely to cross 10,000 people, the organisers of the conference decided to cancel the banquet they had organised for the delegates at the end of the second day of deliberations.

Meanwhile, the number of national and international delegates at the conference exceeded the expectations of the organisers. The 1000-seat capacity St. Andrews Auditorium at Bandra in Mumbai was packed on the first day of the conference with some of the delegates standing or even sitting on the floor.

"Around 1000 delegates had registered for the conference so we expected about 800 to 900 to turn up. Actually, more than 1000 turned up and we were not prepared for this kind of response," says Dr. S. G. Shanbhag, president, IMA.

The International Meet on Family Practice is being organised on the occasion of the 31st Annual Conference of the GPA and the 7th National Convention of the Federation of Family Physicians Associations of India.

There is also an exhibition being held at the venue with various new pharmaceutical products on display at about 50 corporate stalls giving the venue of the conference a festive look.