The jubilee conference 30 Years Together celebrating the 30th anniversary of the ostomy patients’ association ASTOM and of the Moscow city ostomy patients’ rehabilitation service was held on the 20th of April in Moscow. The conference was supported by the Government of Moscow and Moscow
Healthcare Department. The conference was an extremely informative and successful event.
Among the participants of the conference were people with stoma, representatives of regional ostomy patients’ associations, medical specialists, healthcare authorities, government officials, representatives from social insurance bodies, domestic and foreign manufacturing companies.
The ASTOM ostomy patients’ association was registered as a public organization on March 23, 1993 and later that year by joint efforts of ASTOM and the City Hospital # 24 the Moscow city ostomy patients’ rehabilitation service was organized. Today there are over 10 thousand people with stoma in Moscow.
All these years ASTOM has been actively cooperating with healthcare and government authorities aswell as producers of ostomy care products in organization of the rehabilitation system for people with stoma and free supply of ostomy appliance in Moscow and later in Russia, solving multiple problems, identifying the needs and expectations of people with ostomies in order to achieve a desirable quality of life, access to high-quality care and enable them to live a self-determined and independent life.
Opening the conference President of ASTOM Dr. Viatcheslav Sukhanov thanked the Moscow Government, Moscow healthcare officials for the support in organization of this event and welcomed the participants and guests.
In the video address Chairman of the State Healthcare Committee of the Russian Parliament Dr. Khubezov who was one of the initiators of the creation of ostomy rehabilitation service in Russia congratulated ASTOM with the 30 th anniversary and highlighted the potential of engaging patients as partners in improving the healthcare system.
Then followed addresses from healthcare authorities, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, chief medical specialists, heads of regional ostomy patients’ associations of, and producers of ostomy care products.
President of ASTOM Dr. Viatcheslav Sukhanov made a historic overview of the activities and achievements of the association “Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow”, outlined perspectives of the development of the rehabilitation system, focused on problems that require consideration and constructive approach from government and healthcare bodies as well as patients’ organizations, and
suggested how these problems could be solved. He also talked about cooperation with international patients’ organizations, development of the patients’ movement, scientific and research activities in the field of social rehabilitation, literature published by ASTOM and its magazine “Guide to Active Life”.
The atmosphere of the conference was warm and friendly. The participants and guests enjoyed informal dialog and active exchange of ideas, live music, mime show and a photo-session.
The conference closed with a lottery followed by a concert and a small reception.
ASTOM website – reportage in Russian: https://astom.ru/ru/news/reportazh-o-yubileinoi-konferentsii%C2%AB30-let-vmeste%C2%BB-posvyashchennoi-30-letiyu-sozdaniya-sluzhby-re
Small video: https://youtu.be/n3bOaH4d15E
