Our History

History of the Medical Association of the Bahamas
The first medical association in The Bahamas, the Bahamas Medical Association (BMA) was formed in the early 1950s. it was quite natural that the doctors, the majority of whom were British born and trained, sought an affiliation with the British Medical Association. This was achieved in 1957, when doctors Paul Poad, Richard Corey and Andrew Esfakis led the Bahamas Branch of the British Medical Association (BMA-BB). Dr. Jan Steele-Perkins, Humphrey Bulleid, Walter Lorenz and Malcolm Hale were other prominent members of that body.

During the subsequent decade, the association separated from the British Medical Association and in 1969, the BMA-BB was dissolved and the Bahama Islands Medial Association (BIMA) was formed in its place. Almost simultaneously, a group of young Bahamian upstarts, led by Drs. Kirk Culmer, John Lunn, Norman Gay and Elwood Donaldson formed a separate association, the Bahamas Medical Association.

In 1970, Dr. Cecil Bethel, the new president of the BIMA and Dr. Kirtland Culmer, leader of the BMA president agreed to the joining of the two associations to form the Medical Association of the Bahamas (MAB). To date, the Medical Association of the Bahamas has remained the primary voice and advocate of the medical profession in the Bahamas. BMA-BB was dissolved and the Bahama Islands Medical Association (BIMA)

Past presidents of the MAB

 

1970-71 Dr. Cecil Bethel 1982-1983 Dr. David Allen 1998-2001 Dr. Duane Sands
1972-72 Dr. Kirtland R. Culmer 1984-1985 Dr. Percival McNeil 2002-2003 Dr. Cyprian Strachan
1974-75 Dr. John Lunn 1986-1987 Dr. Eugene Newry 2004-2005 Dr. Linelle Haddox
1976-1977 Dr. Andrew Esfakis 1988-1989 Dr. Kirtland R. Culmer 2006-2010 Dr. Timothy Barrett
1978-1979 Dr. Bernard J. Nottage 1990-1991 Dr. Robin Roberts 2011-2016 Dr. Wesley Francis
1980 Dr. David Sands 1992-1993 Dr. Hubert Minnis 2016- 2018 Dr. Sy Pierre
1980-1981 Dr. Perry Gomez 1994-1997 Dr. Robin Roberts 2018-2020 Dr. E. Marcus Cooper
2020-Present Dr. Cindy Dorsett

Harold A. Munnings MBBS FACG FRCP (Lond)
MAB Historian