New York, Nov 8 (IANS) The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) will honour five healthcare professionals/organizations at its inaugural Health Summit Nov 12 -14 here.

The awards will be given by the Health Council of GOPIO, together with GOPIO chapters of Connecticut, New Jersey, Long Island and several partner organizations to Rita Batheja, Dr. Suresh Khanna, Dr. Jatin Shah, SATHI and SEVAK Project.

The three-day summit will kick-off Nov 12 with opening comments by Sangeeta Ahuja and Vivian Rambihar, who will explain why GOPIO is embarking on this initiative, to respond to a health crisis across the Indian disapora.

The target audience will comprise of people of Indian Origin from around the world with a majority from the Tri-State area who are committed to healthier living, and eager to learn more about the products and services offered by the diverse set of holistic healthcare providers.

"The Health Summit is a new initiative from GOPIO International and the Summit programme is developed such that the general population can interact with experts in different health fields and other related areas so as to bring awareness and improve the health and wellness of the Indian Diaspora," said Dr. Thomas Abraham, Chairman of the Programme Committee.

Rita Batheja, a New York based registered dietitian and integrative nutritionist, is the founder of the Indian American Dietetic Association and serves on the American Dietetic Association (ADA) Legislative State Issues Task Force on Food and Nutrition.

Suresh Khanna, a Westchester, New York based physician, is a trustee of Hindu temple of Tristate and has contributed to various temple activities in Westchester and New York.

Jatin Shah is chair of the department of head and neck Surgery at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, whose passion is patient care, surgical education and research.

South Asian Total Health Initiative (SATHI) is a community outreach education and research initiative with the mission to address health disparities and to improve the delivery of culturally competent health care to South Asians.

The SEVAK project was started by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in 2007 to address the shortfalls in access to care and preventive care in rural Gujarat with high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension.