Dear Colleagues,
During the last six months since my previous
newsletter to you in March of this year, SASOG's
affairs have been directed by a number of executive
committee meetings and a full Council meeting in
Johannesburg in September. Amongst several other
initiatives, discussed below, much time and energy
has been expended on the organization and implementation
of the very successful XIX FIGO World Congress held
in Cape Town from the 4th – 9th October, 2009.
FIGO XIX World Congress Cape Town
At a SASOG Council meeting held on October 4,
2003, (under the Presidency of Prof. Gerhard Lindeque)
a decision was taken that SASOG should bid for the
2009 XIX FIGO World Congress to be held in Cape
Town. This was duly done under the direction of
Prof Lindeque at the XVII FIGO congress in Chile
in November 2003 where our submission was of course
successful.
Prof. Gerhard
Lindeque
A Local Organizing Committee (LOC) was formed
by SASOG under the Chairmanship of
Professor
Gerhard Lindeque and included the following members:
Prof Franco Guidozzi (President of SASOG 2006- 2008),
A B Koller (President SASOG October 2008- date),
Drs, Paul Dalmeyer, Peter de Jongh, Toby de Villiers,
Silke Dyer, Thinus Kruger, Christo La Grange, Ernst
Rosemann, Gerard Theron and
Prof. Zephne
van der Spuy. Since 2003 extensive ongoing strategic
and operational planning has continued unabated,
but particularly intensively during the 10 months
This Committee worked in close cooperation with
the International FIGO Organizing Committee working
out of London
The LOC (which was tasked primarily
with the organization of the extensive and subsequently
very successful social programme), worked closely
and met frequently in Cape Town with the South African
conference organizers – Turner's Conferences – under
Dudley Randall. We also met on a number of occasions
with the main FIGO organizing committee from London
under the chairmanship of Ralph Hale and co-chairmanship
of Sir Sabaratnan Arulkunaran. I am pleased to report
that a very successful congress ensued,- over 8000
delegates from more than 120 countries attended
with South Africa flying the SASOG flag highly and
proudly.
Apart from the extraordinarily extensive
scientific and social programmes a number of official
FIGO meetings,(and other non FIGO meetings- vide
infra), were held and attended by the SASOG executive
members (The President, the Hon Secretary Dr. Morgan
Pillay and the Hon Treasure Dr. Ron White and at
times other SASOG council members).
SASOG Hon Secretary Dr. Morgan Pillay SASOG
Hon Treasure Dr. Ron White
Some of the key
FOGO meetings held during the congress included
The FIGO General Assembly (held every three years)
and two meetings of the FIGO executive Board ( of
which SASOG is a proud member) Several noteworthy
decisions were taken at these meetings:-
- In future the FIGO World Congresses will
continue to be held every three years rather
than every two, a proposal which was defeated
in a vote by the general assembly.
- The next (2012) World Congress will be held
in Rome.
- The 2015 Congress in Vancouver.
- Prof. Dorothy Shaws' term of office ended
during the congress and Professor Gamal Serour
of Egypt duly took over the reins as President
of FIGO for the next 3 years.
- Professor Sir Sabaratnan Arulkunaran was
elected as President Elect.
- Professor Ian Fraser was re- elected as
Secretary
- SASOG was re- elected, in a vote by all
members at the General Assembly, to the FIGO
Executive Board.
A number of valuable guidelines and documents endorsed
at these meetings are available on the FIGO website
which is easily accessed via a link from the SASOG
website, these include:-
- "THE FIGO GLOBAL GUIDANCE FOR CERVICAL CANCER
PREVENTION CONTROL", an extremely thorough document
over 70 pages in length, dealing with all aspects
of Cervical Carcinoma prevention and treatment.
- FIGO GUIDELINES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PATIENTS
SUBJECTED TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
- THE TREATMENT OF OBSTETRICAL FISTULAE. (An
ongoing initiative under the supervision of
The Lord Naran Patel).
- An indispensable position statement entitled
"PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS: INTERACTION BETWEEN
OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNAECOLOGISTS AND OTHER HEALTH
PROFESSIONALS" published by FIGO in July 2009.
This statement is included in full at the end
of this newsletter, and I believe it should
be perused by all SASOG members.
THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION
OBSTETRICIANS & GYNAECOLOGISTS-
HONOURS PROF.
ZEPHNE VAN DER SPUY.
Prof. Zephne M van der Spuy, who is the Academic
Head of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at the University
of Cape Tow's Medical School, is an esteemed and
revered long standing SASOG Councilor, a past Chairman
of the South African Representative Committee of
the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists
and the immediate past President of the Colleges
of Medicine of South Africa. She has altruistically
devoted a life time of commitment, energy and effort
to the health and well being of women not only in
South Africa but also internationally.
As
such, and I think entirely appropriately, I am delighted
to report, that:
FIGO took a decision
at a General Assembly during the 2009 World Congress
to honour Professor Zephne van der Spuy with a
"SPECIAL AWARD" in recognition of her
"EXCEPTIONAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF
WOMEN'S HEALTH".
Congratulations Professor
van der Spuy! SASOG, and indeed South Africa, are
proud of you.
THE SASOG STAND IN THE EXHIBITION
HALL.
Considerable interest was shown
by numerous overseas delegates in the SASOG STAND
in the congress exhibition hall. Several delegates
signed up for SASOG membership and indicated interest
in the coming the SASOG 2010 conference to be held
in October next year under the patronage of the
University of Pretoria. This stand was exceptionally
well put together, (at short notice), and conscientiously
manned by Londocor who are also to be the congress
organizers for the SASOG 2010 congress. Sincere
thanks to Sonja Du Plessis and her team.
THANKS TO ALL SASOG MEMBERS.
I would
like to thank all SASOG members who supported The
FIGO World Congress, whether by self-sacrificing
time given to many organizational committee meetings,
presenting at the various scientific sessions, chairing
sessions or assisting with the social programme.
This type of magnanimous service by members is what
makes SASOG a wonderful society.
ESSENTIAL
STEPS IN THE MANAGEMENT OF OBSTETRIC EMERGENCIES
(ESMOE)
As outlined by the ESMO Group,
(in the article by K Frank, H Lombaard and R C Pattinson)
, it is clear, from the Fourth Report on Confidential
Enquires into Maternal Deaths in South Africa in
2007 and the Saving Babies reports 2006-2007* (ref
below), that:
- Poor management of Obstetric emergencies
is a major contributor to Maternal and Perinatal
deaths.
- An increasing number of Maternal and Perinatal
deaths are occurring in Level 1 and 2 hospitals.
- These hospitals are predominantly staffed
by (usually junior) community service doctors.
- The need for improved training of these
colleagues is an urgent obligation.
In response to this crisis a team was created comprising
representatives from all South African O & G Academic
Departments supported by the MRC Maternal and Infant
Health Care Strategies Research Unit, the International
Office of the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists,
the World Health Organization, the South African
Society of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists – (our
representative on the ESMOE advisory board being
Professor Franco Guidozzi,) the South African College
of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, the South African
Representative Committee of the Royal College of
Obstetricians & Gynaecologists, the National Department
of Health and the National Committee for the Confidential
Inquiries into Maternal Deaths.
This team
has methodically developed, for South African conditions,
a training package adapted from a 2007 RCOG "LIFE
SAVING SKILLS PROGRAMME" aimed at improving emergency
obstetrics care in developing countries. Permission
for adapting their programme was of course obtained
from the RCOG. Thus ESMOE was conceived and born
and is being "brought up" by The ESMO Group & ESMO
Board under the able chairmanship of Prof. Jack
Moodley and members R C Pattinson, S. Velaphi, M
Adhikari, F Guidozzi, P Macdonald, E Buchman, A
Farina, EJ Langenegger, K du Plessis, S Fawcus,
C Maise, M Kusumbi, K Frank, TJ Mashamba and Mrs.
D Nyasulu and Mrs. S Majeke.
.
ESMOE's aim
is to effectively train interns, community service
medical officers, midwives and appropriate nurses
in emergency obstetrical care by the development
of a course which is regularly repeatable and can
be used throughout South Africa, on site and by
relevant appropriate instructors. Obviously this
all requires considerable finance and I must, once
again, in this regard thank Professor Franco Guidozzi
for his untiring efforts in obtaining financial
support for ESMOE mainly via an extremely generous,
substantial grant ,which we thankfully acknowledge,
from Discovery Health.
ESMOE is clearly a
vitally important initiative in South Africa at
this time, and in accordance with our vision to
"PURSUE EXCELLENCE IN THE DELIVERY OF HEALTH CARE
TO SOUTH AFRICAN WOMEN THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES",
SASOG is proud to be associated with ESMOE, to salute
its members and to pledge our support .
ESMO
Board Chairman Prof. Jack Moodley
Refs.
1. SAJOG 2009;15,3:94-99)
2. Saving
Mothers 2005-2007. Fourth report on Confidential
Enquires into Maternal Deaths in South Africa. -
Expanded Executive Summery Pretoria Government Printer
3. Pattinson RC, Velaphi S.Hardy and Steyn DWS,
Overview In: Saving Babies2006-2007 Sixth Perinatal
Care Survey of South Africa Pretoria Tshepesa Press
2009 1-65.
SASOG/RCOG CO-OPERATION
One of the primary objectives of SASOG, as enshrined
in our constitution, is to work in close co-operation
with inter alia The Royal College of Obstetricians
& Gynaecologists. In accordance with this, the Chairman
of the South African Representative Committee of
the Royal College (currently Dr. Peter De Jongh)
is a co-opted member of the SASOG council. I believe
that this is extremely important in order to perpetuate
the existing and ongoing close relationship between
the Royal College in London and SASOG.
Indeed,
in the spirit of this close association, the President
of the Royal College, Professor Sir Sabaratnan Arulkunaran,
arranged for a tripartite meeting, during the FIGO
congress, between the Executive of SASOG, the Chairman
and Secretary of the South African Representative
Committee of the Royal College and the RCOG represented
by a number of very senior officers, including the
President himself, the Senior Vice President Mr.
Tony Falconer FRCOG the Honorary Treasurer Mr. Julian
Wolfson OBE,LLM,FRCOG, the Honorary Secretary Mr.
R Warren FRCOG and Professor Lesley Regan FRCOG.
The fact that the number of members and fellows
of the Royal College in South Africa is dwindling
at an alarming rate was acknowledged by all, and
possible strategies to continue the close ties between
SASOG and the Royal College were discussed at an
extremely amicable and fruitful meeting. SASOG acknowledge
and thanked the Royal College for their support
of ESMOE and discussed various initiatives to maintain
the close ties between SASOG and the RCOG.
This meeting was followed up with a meeting
between the SASOG Executive and the Royal College
Honorary Treasurer, Mr. Julian Wolfson, with a view
to possibly making parts of the RCOG website (particularly
electronic access to their library including Journals)
available to non-RCOG members of SASOG. There are
ongoing negotiations between SASOG Executive and
the RCOG in this regard and we will keep you informed.
SASOG gratefully acknowledges the sterling work
done by Dr. Peter de Jongh – Chairman of the South
African Representative Committee of the Royal College,
and his honorary secretary, Dr. Phillip Zinn, in
their ongoing support of SASOG, and in particular
of SASOG's endeavors during the FIGO World Congress.
SWINE FLU
A number of SASOG members approached me with regard
to SASOG preparing guidelines for the management
of pregnant patients with Swine flu, and I am pleased
to report that Professor Franco Guidozzi rose to
the challenge and produced a excellent set of guidelines
for the management of pregnant patients with Swine
flu, which are to be found on the SASOG website.
A GYNAE MANAGEMENT GROUP/
THE SOUTH AFRICAN
PRIVATE PRACTICE FORUM
These two bodies led by Dr. Fred Hayward and Dr.
Chris Archer ably assisted by Health man under Mr.
Casper Venter, have tirelessly continued their work
regarding the effects of the still unpublished 2009
national reference pricelist on the proposed National
Health Insurance. The ongoing battle between the
GMG and the SAPPF and the Department of Health,
will shortly be coming to a head in the High Court,
when it is hoped that the Department of Health will
be ordered to finalize the matter of the 2009 NRPL.
SASOG has, of course, contributed to the not insignificant
legal costs involved in this action. Apropos of
this expenditure by SASOG, a lawyer from Webber
Wentzel, the attorneys handling the court action
for the GMG & SAPPF, attended the last SASOG council
meeting and explained to the council the status
of the case, the extensive amount of work that has
gone into the preparation of the case, and the frustrations
associated with the intransigence of the Department
of Health in this matter.
The outcome of
this court action is, of course, of extreme importance
to all specialists in the country, not just those
in private practice, as it will materially affect
all of our incomes in the future.
SASOG is
therefore extremely grateful to GMG and SAPPF under
the able leadership of the above-mentioned colleagues
who are expending extensive time and energy on this
ongoing battle.
MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT
GOALS / SASOG/ MINISTRY OF HEALTH
South
Africa is, as you may know, a signatory to the United
Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG's), a
number of which relate to health matters and, in
particular, mother and child health. In response
to this, SASOG has detected an particularly welcome
"wind of change" in the Ministry of Health and in
particular the new Minister of Health, Dr. Aaron
Motsoaledi, who has an truly affable and energetic
demeanor and appears to be particularly accessible
and open to opinions and advice from senior health
professionals in the country.
Indeed, through
the good offices of Professor Gerhard Lindeque,
SASOG secured a meeting in Cape Town recently with
the Minister of Health and a senior member from
the Department of Health. SASOG was represented
by the President, the Honorary Secretary – Dr. Morgan
Pillay, the Honorary Treasurer – Dr. Ron White,
Professor Lindeque and Professor Bob Pattinson.
A frank, open and amicable discussion ensued
in which Professor Bob Pattinson very clearly presented
the statistics associated with maternal and neonatal
death in South Africa, and in particularly the massive
impact of HIV aids on these statistics, the Minister
paid intense attention as he informed us that both
he and President Zuma shortly have to report back
to the United Nations on South Africa's progress
in achieving the MDG's.
The question of making
antiretroviral available to all pregnant patients
irrespective of CD4 levels was discussed, while
the need is recognized this becomes a predominately
economic decision.
The awfully poor conditions
of service under which many public service doctors
are compelled to work was brought up and the Minister
acknowledged that this problem was largely associated
with poor hospital management which he assured us
was being addressed.
The question of private
public initiatives in which private practitioners
would be brought back into the fold to do part-time
sessional work at hospitals was brought to the Minister's
attention, and he suggested that SASOG makes a proposal
regarding public/private co-operation which he would
give personal attention to. Council will be addressing
this shortly.
This meeting was seen by SASOG
as an particularly encouraging turn of events, especially
when compared with the dark days of the previous
minister's administration where very little contact,
if any, between senior members of the medical profession
and the Ministry of Health took place.
RESEARCH EDUCATION AND TRAINING
SASOG's Research Education and Training sub-committee,
under the Chairmanship of Professor Leon Snyman
together with Professor Hennie Cronje and Dr. Ron
White as members, has been active in organizing
CPD lectures throughout the country with the assistance
of the very generous Wyeth Laboratory educational
grant to. Lectures have been held in the Pretoria
area, Johannesburg, Northern Natal and the Eastern
and Western Cape as a result of this initiative,
and I thank Professor Snyman and his committee for
their hard work in organizing these meetings.
COST CUTTING OF LABORATORY INVESTIGATIONS
Dr. Ron White, the SASOG Honorary Treasurer,
in consultation with Discovery Health has indicated
that the ordering of "group investigations" is often
done without the knowledge of the costs involved
by the practitioner concerned. For example, a haemoglobin
and white cell estimation would cost significantly
less than a full blood count, or a potassium and
creatinine estimation far less than a urea, creatinine
and electrolytes. Without in any way restricting
the doctors' choices, Discovery has suggested producing
a document which illustrates the costs of various
laboratory investigations, so that the ordering
doctor can give thought to this aspect when ordering
investigations.
SASOG CONSTITUTION REFORM
COMMITTEE
This committee comprising Dr.
Alan Alperstein and the Honorary Secretary, Dr.
Morgan Pillay, has been considering a number of
possible changes to the SASOG constitution. Specifically
the question of a succession plan for office bearers
is receiving attention.
The SASOG council takes note of the "STATEMENT ON
SURGERY FOR PELVIC ORGAN PROLAPSE" penned by Professor
Hennie Cronje on behalf of the gynaecologists on
the South African Urogynaecology Association Council
and which is displayed on this web site.
As documented in the statement, SASOG concurs with
the suggestion that gynaecologists should be involved
with anterior, middle and posterior prolapse, whereas
urologists should confine themselves to the former
and surgeons to the latter. SASOG recognizes with
thanks the commitment by Professor Cronje and members
of the South African Urogynaecology Association
for their commitment to the management of all women
with pelvic organ prolapse.
SASOG is extremely
grateful to Prof Cronje and SAUGA for their efforts
to convince Discovery health and possibly other
medical aids to accept additional treatment codes
for new uro-gynaecological procedures treatment
codes. This initiative has SASOG's support.
FIGO POSITION STATEMENT ON PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS:
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN OBSTETRICIANS AND GYNECOLOGISTS
AND OTHER HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. JULY 2009
Statement of Principle:
The obstetrician
and gynecologist should not only maintain clinical
competence, but should also work collaboratively
with other health professionals to reduce medical
error, increase patients' safety, minimize overuse
of healthcare resources, and optimize the outcomes
of care.
The obstetrician and gynecologist
should:
- Ensure that interactions with other health
professionals are always respectful and considerate
and recognize the skill sets of the other health
professionals.
- Communicate truthfully and sensitively with
all other health professionals with whom he/she
interacts.
- Not discriminate when interacting with other
health professionals on the grounds of age,
race, color, ancestry, place of origin, political
belief, religion, marital status, physical or
mental disability, sex, sexual orientation or
unrelated criminal convictions.
- Respect the personal boundaries of others
including, but not limited to, refraining from
making unwanted physical or emotional approaches,
protecting personal information, and respecting
individual workspace.
- Treat patients and families with respect
and dignity in all discussions with other members
of the healthcare team.
- Not criticize any other health professional
in an untruthful, misleading or deceptive manner
to patients or other health professionals or
the general public.
- Appropriately acknowledge contributions
made by other health professionals to research
projects and to other publications.
- Communicate and cooperate with other health
professionals to the full extent necessary to
serve the best interests of the patient.
- Maintain an open and professional relationship
with other health professionals by: (1) clear
communication, with due regard to privacy and
confidentiality; and (2) cooperation, collaboration,
and teamwork (to reduce medical error, increase
patients' safety, minimize overuse of resources
and optimize the outcomes of care).
- Not engage in exploitative relationships
with other health professionals for emotional,
financial, research, educational or sexual purpose.
- Provide ethical and professional support
to other health professionals.
- Report professional misconduct and insufficiently-skilled
practice to the appropriate authorities, respecting
the need to avoid unjustly discrediting the
reputation of other health professionals. The
doctor should also facilitate professional help
and care for the other health professional if
it is indicated.
- Act with scrupulous fairness when required
to act as an expert commenting on the professional
practice and behavior of another health professional.
- Advocate for the rights and security of
each health professional to practice their profession
within the law and with protection from interference
or intimidation from any source.
- Not compel another health professional to
act contrary to their moral conviction or religious
belief, except as required by law and as delineated
in FIGO's position on conscientious objection.
- Promote professional behavior and help to
resolve disputes between health professionals.
With specific reference to the trainer/trainee–teacher/student
relationship:
The obstetrician and gynecologist
should:
- Model professional behavior for trainees.
- Teach the concepts of professional behavior,
ethical research,
and practice.
- Provide trainees with challenges to learn,
without abuse,
harassment or humiliation.
- Not engage in sexual or romantic relations
with those being
taught or supervised.
- Provide teaching, supervision, and training
while respecting
personal boundaries.
- Allow the expression of disagreement without
the fear of
punishment, reprisals or retribution.
- Provide clear guidelines to trainees and
others regarding
assignments, examinations,
and test environments.
- Provide objective, timely, fair, and constructive
evaluations of
trainees.
- Ensure that the research and clinical teaching
environment
experiences are appropriate
for the needs of the trainee.
- Clearly outline for students and trainees
the appropriate levels
of clinical responsibility.
- Allow trainees to decline to perform procedures
which they
feel are outside their area of
competence or inconsistent with their personal
beliefs.
References
1. FIGO document – ‘Ethical Issues in Obstetrics
and Gynecology by the FIGO Committee for the
Study of ethical Aspects of Human Reproduction
and Women's Health'. November 2006
2. ‘The
RANZCOG Code of Ethical Practice'. May 2006
3. ‘The RANZCOG Curriculum'. 2003
4.
Whitcomb ME. Professionalism in Medicine. Acad
Med. 2007; 82: 1009
5. Cohen J. Linking
Professionalism to Humanism: What It Means,
Why It Matters. Acad Med. 2007; 82: 1029-1032
6. Medical Professionalism Project. Medical
Professionalism in the new millennium: physician's
charter. Lancet. 2002;359: 520-522
7. Hickson
GB. A Complementary Approach to Promoting Professionalism:
Identifying, Measuring, and Addressing Unprofessional
Behaviors. Acad Med. 2007; 82: 1040-1048
8. ‘Professional Standards for Faculty Members
and Learners in the Faculties of Medicine and
Dentistry at the University of British Columbia'.
November 2003
9. Resolution on "Conscientious
Objection". Adopted by FIGO General Assembly
7/11/2006
Discussion
This statement represents the
position of FIGO on standards of behavior and communication
for the obstetrician and gynecologist in his/her
relationships with all other health professionals,
whether medical or otherwise.
To serve our
patients and our communities we must behave ethically
and professionally, not only toward our patients,
but also toward all of the other health professionals
with whom we work. Such behavior cannot be assumed;
more than ever, relationships with other health
professionals are being challenged and are proving
more challenging.
Professional groups closely
allied to obstetrics and gynecology include midwifery
and nursing. Role evolution within these professions
and the substitution of roles traditionally undertaken
by doctors is inevitably creating tensions between
the groups concerned. In addition, the promulgation
by many schools of midwifery of the "wellness" model
in contrast to medicine's "sickness" model, is creating
further challenges at all levels of professional
interface. The doctor's relationships with all those
involved in health management can also be trying,
particularly when one considers the tempo of change
in models of healthcare delivery, the alteration
in traditional decision-making hierarchies, and
the new paradigms being applied to allocation of
leadership in healthcare delivery. Challenges by
external bodies to the medical profession's construct
of self-regulation, including by some government
agencies and quality and safety monitors, bring
their own pressures to bear on relationships between
professional groups.
The doctor's relationship
with students, trainees, and with more junior medical
professionals has always carried specific dimensions
and difficulties, but in recent times further potential
stressors have emerged. Included here are changes
over time in the demographics of these groups, such
as in the age range and gender mix. Undoubtedly
too, the introduction of "safe hours" legislation
in many jurisdictions is placing pressure on relationships
between senior and more junior doctors. There are
increasing demands on specialists to not only teach/tutor
but to be a "complete" teacher/tutor—a challenge
that some doctors can and do find harrowing.
The trend in many countries to increasing specialization
and subspecialization within obstetrics and gynecology
is placing strains on relationships between doctors.
Clear and logical boundaries, within which doctors
with varying scopes of practice can base their interactions,
are not always evident. Handover of patients and
subsequent handback of patients can and does create
issues in everyday working situations. The subspecialist/generalist
interface can also raise perceptions of status inequalities
that can result in tensions, particularly if income
streams are affected.
It can be argued that
matters of standards of behavior and communication
simply form one part of the doctor's broader "Code
of Ethical Practice" and that there is much already
stated and written to guide the doctor in these
areas. Equally, much has been written with regard
to professionalism, its relationship to ethical
practice, and its place in shaping and influencing
the doctor's standards and behaviors. The underpinning
of professionalism by humanism is also well described
as a key enabler of true professionalism. Current
guidance available to the obstetrician and gynecologist
includes:
- FIGO's document, "Ethical Issues in Obstetrics
and Gynecology" by the FIGO Committee for the
Study of Ethical aspects of Human Reproduction
and Women's Health." Included within this document
(page 26) is a statement alluding to "Professional
Obligations to fellow Obstetricians Gynecologists."
- Many of FIGO's member societies have their
own codes of Ethics and/or Ethical Practice,
some of which are based heavily on FIGO documents.
In addition, member societies frequently have
curriculum documents that may make reference
to these matters.
- Positions and statements of national licensing
authorities and representative associations,
including Medical Councils and Boards.
- Professional charters and codes of Universities,
Schools of Medicine, and faculties.
However, even within these resources there is a
relative paucity of consolidated, clearly articulated,
and readily accessible information relevant to a
doctor's conduct and practice when interfacing with
other health professionals. In presenting this statement,
FIGO, as the lead body in the specialty, aims to
guide the obstetrician and gynecologist in these
matters and to shape practice across all of its
member societies.
THE PAUCITY OF FEMALE
REPRESENTATION ON THE SASOG COUNCIL.
I am personally most concerned about the paucity
of female representation on the SASOG council. I
am saddened by the seeming disinterest of female
SASOG members to serve on the council, and in light
of the fact that more and more female doctors are
qualifying as specialist obstetricians and gynaecologists,
I would like to challenge my valued lady colleagues
to stand for election to the SASOG council and thereby
contribute to SASOG's mission of "DELIVERING THE
BEST POSSIBLE STANDARD OF CARE AND PROMOTING THE
HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF ALL WOMEN IN SOUTH AFRICA."
I trust that you found the FIGO position statement
on Professional Standards useful and thought provoking,
and I hope that the rest of this year remains productive
and enjoyable for all SASOG members.
With
my best wishes.
TONY KOLLER
PROF. A.B. KOLLER
PRESIDENT SASOG
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