Report of IOA President

OA EC online softwear was developed & put in practice for IOA EC meetings instead of personal meeting. The advantage of this was saving money.

Similarly instead of Email Chain for WOD celebration, a software  was developed so that the member countries can post messages & their activities on this with user name & password but persons without these can only log on to read all this material .This was also launched officially for WOD celebrations in October 3rd 2009 & was very successful.

A task force was appointed to look in to & suggest steps to re organizing the IOA & its activities in the changing scenes in Ostomy world as well as the changing needs of the ostomates throughout the world.

Members of the Taskforce :

Ms Di Bracken – IPP IOA, Chair person of the Task Force, Canada

Mrs. Brenda Flanagan – Past President IOA, UK

Prof. Gerhard Englert – Past President IOA and founding member of IOA, Germany

Mr. Ken Aukett – Past President IOA , President UOAA, USA

Mr. John O’Neill – Past Treasurer of IOA, NZ

Arne Holte, EOA president & I were invited to participate in ECET meeting in Porto, Portugal where we took part in Symposium on “ Social & Spiritual response during End of life ‘’It was well perceived by all delegates .I also spoke on “Sexuality & Ostomates’’ as well as on “ Complication free Ostomy Surgery & life”.

IOA-AtH China & India projects

Between February & June 2009 we had applied for grants from Access to Health Care ( AtH ) a donation program of Coloplast of Denmark, established during their 50th year celebrations in 2006-2007as a part of Corporate Social Responsibility. We had identified two projects one in China to help them form & strengthen stoma clubs in five major cities of China with a view to help them with ISCAP material & Visitors training guidelines to be used for training ostomates. Second project was to develop E-Learning modules on Stoma Care for nurses to be trained across India with a view to help 1400 nurses to be trained in Stoma care in Theory as well as practicals. Both these projects were approved by AtH.

A preliminary meeting was organized with four surgeons from four different cities of East cost of China to discuss the IOA-AtH China project & their involvement & its advantage to ostomates in China as well as spread of awareness about stoma care amongst the health care professionals & public at large. This was organized in Guanzhou just after their celebration of WOD in September as in first week of October they have holiday season because of festive season.

I had chance to meet & speak to members of Hongkong stoma association in Hongkong prior to the meeting in Guanzhou. About 30 ostomates listened to my presentation on “Reaching out ‘’ theme of WOD. I had also meeting with the president of HK ET nurses association in Hongkong & we exchanged ideas on E-Learning course on Stoma care to be developed for India.

I attended the WOD celebration of GZ stoma club in Guanzhou soon after the visit to HK. More  then 300 members of the local stoma ( Ostomates & Surgeons & ETs) club & few of the members of HK stoma Association as well as few surgeons & ETs from Shanghai attended this function.I had chance to talk on Introduction to Visitors training which was translated live in mandarin rfor locals to understand.

Meeting with local surgeons about IOA-AtH China project was well received. Good & long discussion took place after my presentation about the aims & objectives of the project. Local surgeons were not comfortable with the idea of forming associations which eventually could become members of AOA/ IOA due to local government laws. Therefore we had to change the focus to how this project can help them to get more members joining local stoma clubs which exists at present & how to use ISCAP material & Visitors training guidelines to educate not only ostomates but also create awareness about needs of ostomates in society. We agreed to pursue the later option in next meeting.

We celebrated big time WOD in Mumbai & other cities in India. In Mumbai there were 350 participants for the meeting held in Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital to celebrate WOD. Highlight of the meeting was the presence of Mrs. Carmen George , Chair person of Education committee of WCET, Past president of Lions Clubs International Foundation Lion Dr Ashok Mehta & many ostomates from different socioeconomic & professional back grounds.

The speakers gave their experience on how the theme “Reaching out ‘’works in real world of ostomates.

Unfortunately I underwent lots of Health problems from October 2009 till March 2009 needing few times admission in hospitals & operative procedures including coronary bypass surgery. I was on sick leave from 2nd October 2009 till 30th May 2010. During my sick leave Barry Maughan, Di Bracken & Gene Zapf look after my work with Barry Maughan as acting President of IOA. All the IOA EC members were very supportive to carry out the work of IOA & their well wishes & prayers help me to recover from my serious health issues. I am very thankful to all of them.