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As this year’s report coincides with the end of my tenure as President, I will discuss issues that have spanned the past two years.
First and foremost I must thank the members of the Executive Committee with whom I have had the pleasure to work with. All members have fulfilled their duties in an exemplary fashion. Much of their work goes unheralded, but the effects are noted and felt by all members.
- Dr Len Steingo, President-elect, has attended to the script pad project, which is currently being expanded to include all members who wish to participate. When the project is fully operational, we will be able to access important demographic data regarding the use of certain drugs in specific conditions, e.g. how many patients with a diagnosis of coronary artery disease are on statins, aspirin, ACE inhibitors etc. It is hoped that some preliminary data will be published in the SA Heart Journal or newsletter next year. Dr Steingo has also driven the initiative to formalize the relationship between SA Heart and the various Special Interest Groups and Regional Groups. The resultant document will be tabled and discussed at the AGM.
- Dr Anthony Stanley, Chairman of the Private Practice Committee and Honorary Secretary, has attended many meetings at the SA Medical Association, representing the views of SA Heart. His feedback has been invaluable, and for the sake of continuity, it is hoped that he will continue in this way. He has also initiated a project to get an independent ‘audit’ of what our practice costs are. This information is vital if we are to negotiate to protect our incomes. Members may have already been approached to make this data available for processing and results will also be published some time next year when the project is complete. Members are assured that all financial records will be kept confidential. He has also served well as the Honorary Secretary of the Association.
- Prof Anton Doubell, head of the Fulltime Practice Committee, has given tremendous input to the College and HPCSA regarding the implementation of the new guidelines for the College examinations and registration criteria. He has also dedicated much time to ensuring the smooth roll-out of the cath lab data project. This latter work has been a major undertaking. Many members have expressed dismay at the delay in implementation, but it is important to understand that it was and is imperative that the registry be functional and as flawless as possible. We have actively decided not to distribute it to members until all the bugs are sorted out. The good news is that this project is now almost complete, and a working copy of the data registry will be available at the AGM and will most probably be distributed to interested centres/individuals early next year. Prof Doubell has also been instrumental in establishing the SA Heart Journal and guiding its birth process. I am sure that members will agree that the standard of articles is excellent and it will serve as an important vehicle for local articles and imparting of up to date cardiology news.
- Dr Rob Scott-Millar, head of the Education Committee, has given valuable input to the contents of SA Heart supported meetings and also issues regarding the standards of cardiology teaching. The maintenance of standards is important and much time and effort is spent in discussion with HPCSA and the College of Medicine in this regard.
- Prof Abdul Mitha, Chairman of the Ethics and Guidelines Committee has started the process of getting local comments on the clinical practice guidelines. With our adoption of the European Society of Cardiology clinical practice guidelines as our own SA guidelines, it is important that we disseminate this information and highlight the relevance to local conditions and practices. This will be a long-term project and the local caveats to the guidelines will appear from time to time in the SA Heart Journal starting next year. Prof Mitha has also guided us in dealing with several sensitive matters involving complaints by and against colleagues. I am pleased to report that most of these issues we easily resolved and that a paucity of matters were decided to be beyond our jurisdiction and referred on to HPCSA.
- Dr Ronnie Jardine, the Honorary Treasurer, has continued to provide sterling service in the financial affairs of the Association. Much work has had to be done to obtain registration as a Public Benefit Organization, sorting out our registration as a VAT vendor, while at the same time ensuring that we remain solvent and viable. During this time he has also dedicated much effort as the head of the organizing committee for this current AGM/Scientific Sessions.
SA Heart has continued to support its members in terms of travel and research scholarships. This past year 2 travel scholarships to a total value of R20 000 were awarded. In addition, the Association donated R25 000 to the Circulatory Disorders Research Fund, as part of our ongoing commitment to that project. I am please to report that several of our members have been awarded substantial grants through this fund. A sum of R70 000 was given to the Society of Cardiothoracic Surgeons of SA for their congress held in Zambia in August.
There have been disappointments during this past year as well. The inability to reach agreement with the editor of the Cardiovascular Journal of SA regarding its future with SA Heart was frustrating. In particular, the editorial written by the editor in that journal was of great dismay. I have dealt with that issue in a previous newsletter. A similar attack on the integrity of the SA Heart Executive Committee was recently received by a former member, who alleged a lack of transformation in the Association. I am sure when members see the current list of nominees for positions on the executive and sub-committees, they will have no doubt that transformation has indeed occurred. It must be understood that this ‘change’ is not in response to any criticism, but is part of an ongoing process that was initiated in the year after inception of SA Heart. We are now seeing the fruits of that policy.
We are no longer a society in isolation. This year has seen the consolidation of our position as affiliate members of the European Society of Cardiology and a member of the Pan African Society of Cardiology. The fruit of our membership of the ESC are already visible in our clinical guidelines, and I am sure that there will also be growth and development of cross-country seminars and meetings. Our participation in PASCAR is significant with two SA Heart members present on the PASCAR executive, and in our hosting this years PASCAR meeting at our AGM in the Drakensberg.
I must thank our secretary, Erika Dau, who continues to perform sterling work. At times it is difficult working long-distance, the secretariat being in the Cape and I being in Gauteng, but with the telephone and emails, this has not proved to be too problematic. Timely reminders are always at hand to ensure that matters flow smoothly and nothing is left unattended.
It is with much satisfaction that I take leave of the office of the President. There have been an unprecedented number of nominees for positions of leadership in the Association. This bodes well for the future and indicates that members have understood the need to stand up and be counted. Whilst there is no financial reward for the work done, the satisfaction of initiating and seeing through projects that will be of benefit to all members and indirectly to patients; engaging in lively discussions regarding the future of cardiology in South Africa, our relationships with industry, statutory bodies and medical aid funders; and broadening our link with our colleagues in Europe and Africa, is reward enough.
Dr Colin Schamroth
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