|
Over the past 2 years as president I think the association has again grown in stature and size. The special interest groups including the surgical group have consolidated their relationships within the association. They have shown their ongoing commitment to education . I feel that the cardiac community is stronger than ever because of this ongoing bond and the realisation that we need to stand together as a single unified body.
I would like to sincerely thank all the exco who have done a tremendous job this year and achieved a great deal through their efforts. The exco spend a tremendous amount of their time pursuing important matters for the benefit of our members.
The regional branches continue to play a major role in organising local meetings of interest for the members and ongoing participation should be encouraged. As you know the CT branch under the leadership of Johan Brink are organising the 2008 congress and HEFFSA with approval by Karn Sliwa and her committee have agreed to organise the 2009 congress and we thank them for their commitment.
Some of our members because of our affiliation to the ESC have become fellows of that society.
Our other important affiliation is with the Pan African Society of Cardiology (PASCAR), which held its 1st rejuvenated meeting in Nairobi this year and I and a few of the other members of SAHEART were priviged to attend. It wa a most successsful meeting and we will continue to support and encourage PASCAR.
Our private practice committee under the chairmanship of Anthony Stanley has again represented us at SAMA and HPCSA level and continued the management of private initiatives particularly practice affairs and fees. Anthony has also again fulfilled his role admirably as secretary of the society.
I thank Ronnie Jardine again as treasurer for the 8th year for his ongoing commitment and efforts in handling the finances so efficiently as treasurer.
Other members of exco including Tshimbi Mathivha head of the Education committee, Pravin Manga head of full time salaried practice committee, Tony Dalby head of the ethics and guidelines committee and Professor Pravin Manga head of full time salaried practice committe and Martin Sussman present vice president have all done a sterling job within their committees and made sure that all the necessary functions of SA Heart continue smoothly. These exco members participate and give support to many other activities and have supported me as well through-out the 2 years of my Presidency.
Anton Doubell has again produced some outstanding publications of the SA Heart Journal through-out the year and again I thank him for his ongoing tireless efforts in this regard. He has taken on the task of editor and publisher.
Once again I would like to thank Adriaan Snyders very much for his ongoing commitment in publishig our important newsletter, currently attached to the SA Heart Journal.
There have been some very important discussions with various funders including Discovery Health about rates and guidelines. Although there are some individual members who may disagree with our current policy of negotiation and individual freedom of choice rather than endorsement or rejection of the Premier Rate this remains our current policy. We have at this time decided not to get involved in clinical governance discussions with Discovery as we believe that individual practice of the members should be respected.
I know that over the years we have acted within the boundaries of the constiution of the SA Heart association and within the correct legal applications thereof and remain sincere in this undertaking. If there are differences of opinion this is a democratic association with a structured constitution and the necessary steps through the correct channels can be applied.
There have been 2 dissappointments for me, one being the script pad project and the other the cath lab registry.
The latter is a most important structure for SA Heart and needs every member’s participation to make it viable. This has become for me nevertheless by default an important mission to pursue. To this end we have organised a cath lab registry sub-committee which consists of myself, Pravin Manga, Tony Dalby, Anthony Stanley and the reps of the various SIG groups being Andrew Thornton CASSA, Jeff Harisberg PCSSA, and xxxxx SASCI, Francis Smit surgery and responsible for the surgical data base. Much of the work and foundation for these databases have been done by Anton Doubell, Colin Schamroth, Francis Smit and SASCI more particularly Farrel Hellig. These members have laid the foundation for this registry but it needs to be taken to a different level with full member participation to allow a properly run registry for research, organisational purposes and ultimately for profit and benefit for the SA Heart and its members.
I would like to personally thank the new president of the association Professor Bongani Mayosi and wish him well in his tenure as president. I and the rest of exco will give him the full support he requires for the next 2 years.
Erika Dau our secretary has again fulfilled her commitments admirably and I thank her sincerely for this.
I look forward to the new year and will serve on exco for the next year in my capacity as immediate past president.
Len Steingo
top of page |
