AGENDA OF THE SOUTH ASIA FEDERATION OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD ON 28TH OF JUNE 2008, AT COLOMBO, SHI LANKA.

A meeting of the South Asia Federation of Obstetrics and Gynecology Council will be held on the 28th of June 2008, at Colombo, Shi Lanka. The timing of the meeting will be announced.

Agenda

1. Roll call.
2. To read and confirm the minutes of the council meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal in March 2008. Minutes will be circulated later.
3. Business arising out of the minutes.
4. To receive the report of the Constitution of SAFOG.
5. To receive the report on the SAFOG – RCOG day.
6. To receive the report regarding the website of SAFOG.
7. To receive the report of the Journal / Newsletter of  SAFOG.
8. Any other matter with the permission of the chair.

 

 

Dr. Shyam Desai

Secretary – General SAFOG

 

SAFOG COUNCIL MEETING (KATHMANDU)
28.03.08

SAFOG council meeting was held on 28.03.08 at Hotel Crown Plaza, Kathmandu, Nepal. The meeting started with the President SAFOG in chair. Professor Farrokh Zaman thanked the Nepal hosts for arranging the venue of the meeting. He welcomed the office bearers and members of the SAFOG council and emphasized how frequent and regular meeting of the council had given impetus to various activities. Prof Zaman thanked Dr. Rohana Hathotawa and Dr. Malik for their hard work in marking changes to the constitution, which was going through its fourth amendment.

Going on to the first item in the agenda, Dr. Shyam Desai read the minutes of the last meeting, which were approved. Discussing the UNICEF ROSA and UN angencies meeting Dr. Zaman emphasized the need for a unified approach.

Discussing the AOFOG statement regarding unsafe adoration, the members of the council commented on the fact that contribution of SAFOG had not been acknowledged by ADFOG in the statement on abortion. It was decided that Dr. Rohana will write a letter to AOFOG in this regard to ask them to write an acknowledgement to this affect and state that SAFOG contributed to the document. SAFOG may also give a statement to the same effect. This was followed by a discussion on how to disseminate the statement on unsafe abortion. Dr. Harsha suggested journal of ACOG to publish guidelines and supped them. Prof Bhuyain informed that Bangladesh had already started implementing this statement. It had also started collecting data on unsafe abortion.

Professor Farrukh Zaman thanked Prof. Alokendnu Chatterjee for arranging an excellent meeting of SAFOG & RCOG in Calcutta, which was also attended by the President RCOG, Prof. Arulkumaran. The enthusiastic discussion and the frank question answer session by the president were appreciated by all. This meeting will prove to be a substantial step in establishing a healthy relationship with RCOG. The council expressed its deepest gratitude to the President RCOG for attending the meeting and making it so fruitful.

There was a discourse on trying to contact Maldives, Bhutan and Myanmar to become active members of SAFOG. It was pointed out that Sri Lanka was trying to get in touch with Maldives and Dr. Sharma with the other two countries.

Prof. Alokendu gave update on the planned South Asia day at RCOG, London. He said that Royal College had agreed to host the South Asia day and it was being planned for July 2009 at the Royal College Education Center. This has a capacity to seat 250 people. Prof. Chatterjee suggested that 150 to 170 seats should be filled by delegates from South Asia.

Prof. Zaman talked about clarification regarding SCOG and SAFOG roles. The need for registration fee was also discussed. It was suggested that fifty to eighty pounds should be charged for registration of participants and forty pounds for spousal registration. The college will be responsible for providing hall, audio visual support, refreshments, music, cocktails. They will also advertise the event on their website.

Dr. Pushpa highlighted that 2009 was a very busy year and many international conferences were taking place this year. Prof. Zaman, retreated that SAFOG needed to establish itself amongst the world bodies, a process started in Lahore during the SAFOG conference that this event would establish SAFOG as a representative body of the South Asian region by RCOG.

PROF. Alokendu mentioned that the newe of SAFOG / South asian day will be circulated amongst members all over the world and would provide good news coverage. Visa facilitation issue was raised by Prof. Bhuyian, he was assured that visa can be facilitated for the participants. Prof. Alokendu pointed out that each participant can be issued an invitation for the conference by the RCOG. The tentative program of the conference was discussed. The venue of Nufield hall came under discussion.

Dr. Rubina Sohail volunteered to assist in the organization of the event. It was decided that a committee will be formed with one member from each country

Chair President SAFOG Prof. Farrukh Zaman

Org. Secretary Dr. Alokendu

Deputy Secretary Dr. Rubina Sohail

Country Representatives

Nepal               Dr. Pushpa

Sri Lanka          Dr. Malik

Pakistan            Dr. Rubina Sohail

India                 Dr. Jayanth Rath

Bangladesh       Dr Bhuyian

Members          chairs of all the executive committees

It was discussed that president SAFOG would write to and invite the president of all the presidents of executive of the region.

The topics for presentation in the conference were discussed and it was decided that the topics of the South Asian region and speakers will be invited. It was suggested that there should be poster presentations. It was decided that a write up / document would be produced on the country specific program on maternal health and each country would give their own update for data collaboration.

The title of the meeting was discussed whether it should be called a SAFOG day or South Asia day. Dr. Bhuyian emphasized that the purpose of the meeting was to establish recognition to SAFOG as a body representative of the South Asian region. Dr. Harsha recommended that as everybody understood “South Asia” better than SAFOG, therefore we can have a South Asian day in collaboration with SAFOG and RCOG.

Regarding developing guidelines for the region, it was stated that Ms. Julian Penny to be invited to Sri Lanka to conduct two workshop for how to modify and establish regional guidelines. Dr. Harsha was made incharge for developing guidelines for the region.

Dr. Bhuyian said that at each SAFOG conference we should have a SAFOG, RCOG, FIGO and AOFOG session. It was discussed that at the last SAFOG conference in Lahore a SAFOG and AOFOG sessions were held.

The revised constitution was discussed and some changes were suggested. Regarding the issue of SAFOG council, it was decided that there should be an Assistant Secretary General should be from the same country as the President. The President, President elect and elect of the two Vice President should be from a different country. Other clauises of the constitution were also discussed clarified and finalized.

The role of SAFOG in FIGO was discussed. All the members felt that efforts should be made for FIGO to recognize SAFOG as an affiliate body and grant an observer status. It was decided that (Alokendu and Rubina) a latter should be sent to president FIGO in regard.

It was suggested that the subscription to each country should be increased

India and Pakistan                       form 150 to 300

Bangladesh and Shi Lanka        form 100 to 200

Nepal                                               form 50 to 100

The meeting ended with a vote of thanks for the president.