R ARIVANANTHAM
CHENNAI, OCT 17
A 52.8-foot Golu inspired by Navaratri, 26 medical pavilions, around 400 doctors and free health screenings across multiple specialities are bringing healthcare closer to the public at Tambaram, where the Indian Medical Association’s (IMA) local branch has launched a three-day initiative to turn medical awareness into a community-wide movement.
Namma Health Mega Expo 2026, organised by IMA Tambaram as part of its golden jubilee celebrations, opened on Saturday at Valluvar Gurukulam School on GST Road. Running until October 19 under the theme “Together for a Healthier Tomorrow,” the expo combines medical education, preventive healthcare, cultural creativity and activities for children in an effort to encourage people to take a more proactive approach to their well-being.
- IMA Tambaram’s three-day Namma Health Mega Expo 2026 opens as part of its golden jubilee celebrations
- 26 themed pavilions showcase medical sciences, specialities and super-specialities
- Six medical colleges, over 50 hospitals and around 400 doctors join the public health initiative
- Community-created 52.8-foot Golu blends Navaratri tradition with medicine and healthcare
- IMA plans national centenary initiatives to promote healthier lifestyles among young Indians
- School health mission, children’s competitions and record adjudication add to the October 17–19 programme
The exhibition features 26 themed pavilions covering a broad spectrum of healthcare, from basic medical sciences to specialities and super-specialities, including neurology, obstetrics and gynaecology, and cardiology. Visitors can access free health screenings, participate in tailored health-awareness sessions and watch live demonstrations throughout the day.
Six medical colleges, more than 50 hospitals and around 400 doctors are participating in the event, which is expected to draw over 30,000 visitors during the three days. The organisers are encouraging families to use the opportunity to learn about preventive healthcare and seek early screening for potential health concerns.
When Navaratri meets medicine
The expo’s standout attraction is a 52.8-foot-tall health-themed Golu, created with community participation. Reimagining the traditional Navaratri display through the lens of medicine and healthcare, the installation seeks to make health awareness accessible through a familiar cultural idiom.
The Golu will also be a focal point of the valedictory programme on October 19, when the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records are scheduled to adjudicate and present records relating to the installation.
Dr K. M. Abul Hasan, Honorary Secretary General-Elect of IMA Headquarters, inaugurated the expo. The inaugural day also featured the IMA Tambaram Golden Jubilee celebration, presided over by Dr B. Sridhar, President of the IMA Tamil Nadu State Branch. Dr M. Thiraviam Mohan, Honorary State Secretary of the Tamil Nadu State Branch, was also present.
IMA’s national vision for a healthier India
Addressing the gathering, Dr Abul Hasan announced that, after assuming charge as IMA National Honorary Secretary, he intended to advance the association’s centenary celebrations through its chapters across the country, with the stated objective of “To make Indian Youth Fit at the age of 25 and healthier nation.”
As part of this effort, the IMA will prepare a detailed draft policy on health education and submit it to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay, he added.
The proposed initiative places health education and healthier lifestyles among young people at the centre of the association’s wider public health agenda.
Taking health education into schools
A key programme scheduled for Sunday, October 18, is the launch of Nalamaana Pallikalvi, IMA Tambaram’s school health and awareness mission for Chengalpattu district. D. Sarathkumar, Minister for Human Resources Management and Ex-Servicemen Welfare, Government of Tamil Nadu, is scheduled to launch the initiative.
The mission aims to address menstrual health, mental well-being, nutrition, healthy habits and drug-abuse prevention among school students. The event is expected to be attended by the Chengalpattu District Collector, Dr M. N. Satish Kumar, District Health Officer, and Chief Educational Officer Thiruvalarselvi.
Day two will also feature an address by Dr J. A. Jayalal, President of the Commonwealth Medical Association and former National President of the Indian Medical Association.
Children take centre stage
The expo’s Kids’ Podium will offer children opportunities to participate in competitions and educational activities across two categories: Nursery, covering Pre-KG to UKG, and Primary, for Standards 1 to 5.
The programme includes group skits, poem recitation, rhyme and song singing, elocution, a family health quiz, drawing and painting, and a first-aid demonstration challenge. The activities are designed to bring children and families into the wider conversation on health and well-being.
Rajmohan Arumugam, Minister for School Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, is scheduled to attend the valedictory function on October 19. The programme will also feature addresses by Prof. Dr Pradeep Bhardwaj, described as a doctor, author and “Mountain Man” and “Warrior”, and Balaji Ramachandran, CEO of NoobTron Private Limited, India.
“Good health is something we build together”
Dr L. Yesodha, President of IMA Tambaram; Dr T. N. Ravisankar, Convener of Namma Health Mega Expo; and Dr V. S. Hariharan, Honorary Secretary of the IMA Tambaram Branch, said the initiative reflected the association’s commitment to taking healthcare directly to the community in its golden jubilee year.
“For 50 years, IMA Tambaram has served the community through its clinics and hospitals. In our Golden Jubilee year, we wanted to take healthcare directly to the people, and this mega health expo is an important step in that direction. From the Golu, created by the community, to the various activities at the expo, everything carries the message that good health is something we build together. The free health screenings offered at the event across multiple specialities can help detect conditions early, before they lead to serious complications. We encourage the public to make full use of this opportunity,” they said.
The expo’s larger message is that healthcare need not begin only in a hospital or after symptoms appear. By bringing doctors, institutions, families and children into one public space, IMA Tambaram is using its golden jubilee to underline the value of prevention, awareness and community participation.