On the 12th January 1964 the ISA was organised as a separate body. Till then it used to be part of Association of Surgeon’s of India ( ASI ). Initially it was active only in Bombay circle slowly spreading to Hyderabad and then to Madras. The city branch was not functioning between 1964 and 1969. It was made active in 1970, when Prof. N. P. Singh became the HOD of Anaesthesia at JIPMER Pondicherry.
The branch elected the senior anaesthesiologists from the city namely Dr.T.Srinivasan ,Dr. V.G.Appukutty ,Dr.L.Appasamy , Dr.S.Krishnan ,Dr.K.A.Kishore ,Dr.K.Balakrishnan and Dr. Kumarasamy .
The branch was offered to organize the SILVER JUBLEE ALL INDIA ANAESTHESIA ISA Conference in 1975 which was successfully conducted at the IIT campus Chennai by Dr.T. Srinivasan as Organizing Secretary .
From then on the branch has been growing to this level today .Various State and National positions were occupied by the chennai city branch members who have contributed to the growth of these bodies.
Exemplary and devout Prof.T.Srinivasan was elected as Governing Council member of national body in 1976 .
With Prof V. G. Appukutty as National President and Dr.K. Balakrishnan as
Organising Secretary, The All India ISACON was conducted successfully at Stella Marry’s College,Chennai in December 1990.
In 1993 Dr.K.Balakrishnan was elected as GC Member and subsequently chosen as All India ISA Honorary Secretary .
During the SAARC conference at Karachi,Pakistan in 1998, India was asked to conduct the next SAARC-ISA Conference.
Dr.K.Balakrishnan was elected as President of SAARC-ISA Conference in 1999 .It was conducted at the Raja Muthiah and Rani Meyyammai Hall in Chennai.
In the year 1999 December ISA conference at Kochin, Dr.K.Balakrishnan was elected as President ISA .
The last important function organized by Chennai city branch was the All India Annual ISA conference at Chennai Trade Centre in 2009 with
Dr. Ashok Ganapathy as Organising Secretary.
Chennai city branch has played important roles in the activities of the parent body and was conferred with ‘ BEST CITY BRANCH ‘ of ISA more than once .