History of Our Branch

The Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh branch of IADVL is 53 years old and was launched by Prof F. Handa, the then Prof and Head, Department of Skin and V.D., at Government Medical College and Rajendra hospital, Patiala in the year 1970. Prof F. Handa continued as the Founder President of the branch with its headquarters at the Department of Skin and V.D. at Government Medical College, Patiala until the late 1980’s when the reigns of the branch were handed over to Prof. Surinder Kaur, the then Head, Dept of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology at PGIMER, Chandigarh.

The first Annual conference of the branch was organised in 1975 at the Red Cross Bhavan, Patiala by Prof F.Handa along with late Prof. S.R. Sardana. From humble beginnings of thirty odd members in the first few years of its inception comprising of mostly faculty from the Departments of Dermatology at the Medical Colleges in the States of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and PGI Chandigarh, the branch now has come a long way and grown to over 600 members.

The branch has been holding Annual conferences every year at different venues like Patiala, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Jammu, Faridkot and Chandigarh. The
last CUTICON of the Branch “49 th Annual conference of Punjab, Chandigarh and Himachal Pradesh Branch’’ was held at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot under the able leadership of Dr Sumir Kumar.

The doyens of Dermatology who have held the office of President of the branch over the years include Late DR. S.R. Sardana, Dr. F. Handa, Late Dr. Surinder Kaur, Late Dr. R.C. Sarin, Dr. S. P Diwan, Dr. V. K. Sood, Dr.Y. S. Manocha, Dr. Radha Rani Mittal, Dr. Jatinder Arora, Dr. Bhushan Kumar, Dr. Rajesh Rani Gupta, Dr. Adarsh Chopra, Dr. N.L. Sharma,Dr. Vikram Sood, Late Dr Inderjeet Kaur, Dr. Alka Dogra, Dr. Vinay Shankar, Dr. B. B. Mahajan, Dr D. Parsad, Dr Rakesh Bharti, Dr. Sunil Gupta, Dr. Sanjeev Handa, Dr. G P Thami, Dr G R Tegta. Three Presidents of the branch who have gone onto become National Presidents of IADVL include Late Dr. S. R. Sardana, Dr. F. Handa and Dr. Bhushan Kumar. In 2016, Dr. B.B. Mahajan has served as Vice President of National IADVL

Currently the branch is lead by a dynamic leader Dr. Sumir Kumar, Prof and Head, Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot who is supported by Dr. Amarbir Singh Boparai, Associate Professor, Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot as its Secretary along with Dr. Neerja Puri, Assistant Prof at Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology at Guru Gobind Singh Medical College and Hospital, Faridkot.