HISTORY OF GARTIO
September 9 is considered as the National Integration day of Indian Radiographers. It was on 9 th September 2007 that, Indian Society of Radiographers and Technologists started its full fledged national activities by emerging themselves as the Pan India Organization.
In the past one and half a decade, ISRT has redefined Indian Radiological Technology. ISRT has also attained two milestone achievements such as International Affiliation in ISRRT – International Society of Radiographers & Radiological Technologists and shaping the health policy of Government of India by contributing a lot to the enactment of NCAHP ACT – 2021, a powerful piece of legislation to regulate professional practice and professional education of Indian Allied & Healthcare Professions. Both are the long cherished dream, which came into a reality.
In the light of a giant leap in the migration to abroad by Indian Allied Health Professionals, especially the Radiographers, it is the high time to co ordinate all Indian Origin Radiographers and Radiological Technologists in the world under a single umbrella as ISRT did in 2007 in the whole of India.
By realizing the need of hour for a Global Association to represent all Radiographers and Radiological Technologists of Indian origin working across the Globe irrespective of their caste, creed, religion, region and language, ISRT put the best foot forward on 14 th August 2022, in the auspicious occasion of Seventy fifth anniversary of Independence of India by convening the first meeting of Global Indian community of Radiographers on virtual platform.
The idea of such an organization was first conceived in the early months of 2019 in the event HEALTH TECH INDIA – 2019, an Asian Conference of CII – Confederation of Indian Industry, where ISRT leaders had a meeting with leaders of GAPIO – Global Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, which was the real emulating role model organization for all Indian origin professionals across the globe.
The same was discussed in many forums and meetings at various occasions. A preliminary meeting held on 01.01.2021 at Cochin in principle decided to go ahead with constitution of such an organization and proposed the name as GARTIO.
A logo prepared was approved in an another meeting held on 11.04.2021 at Quilon and draft organizational structure, Memorandum of Association was also prepared. The first public announcement on GARTIO was made by Mr. Suresh Malayyath, General Secretary of ISRT on 15 th August 2021, the 75 th Independence day of our great Nation in a Zoom meeting organized in connection with Independence day celebrations of Indian Radiographers abroad.
A face book page of GARTIO was launched on 18 th August 2021 and networking was started. In the mean time , the following steps were also initiated.
- Registration of GARTIO as society or public trust in Delhi state with HQ in New Delhi.
- First zoom meeting of promoter members was conducted.
- Vigorous networking and picking up of enthusiastic Indian RTs across the globe was carried out through various modus operandi.
- A web domain was purchased and maintained.
- Support of International Academic community was sought.
The first What’s App group was formed on 09 th September 2021 and some Co Ordinator’s were identified in every continents and region and made them as Admin of the Group.
The first general meeting held on 14 th August 2022 for the constitution of GARTIO unanimously adopted the concept of organization, basic aim and objectives and the name as proposed.
The meeting also approved to constitute an Advisory Council to formulate and lead the future activities, till an elected body with formal organizational structure is established. The meeting also decided to launch the website of GARTIO in Bangkok by President, International Society of Radiographers & Radiological Technologists in the presence of International Academic and Professional leadership on 18 th December 2022