Dinner awards Viet Nam Conference 31 October 2014-10-16
Good Evening All
Tonight I am going to make 2 awards on behalf of IOA and ASPOA.
The IOA Professional Service Award is an Award that is periodically presented to individuals who have unselfishly volunteered their professional services on an International or Regional level and in so doing have significantly impacted the quality of life of people who have, or will undergo bowel or urinary diversion surgery.
The key words in the above paragraph are: “unselfishly volunteered their professional services”. To be a true volunteer, one needs to spend many hours of free-time to work for an idea that benefits mankind … people helping people, without regard to personal or financial gain.
This award acknowledges their work both locally regionally and internationally
I will make such an award tonight but before I do that the IOA CC has asked me to make a special award to an Ostomate who has given outstanding service to ostomates not only in his own country but more significantly in Asia and the rest of the world.
This person is an Ostomate and a Surgeon. As a young doctor who had colostomy surgery he began assisting ostomates in his own country and working to make other ostomates lives better there by being involved in their support group. He became president. As well he provided voluntary surgery up to 2 days a week to those who could not afford surgery. This he still does
Dato John Cardosa noted his work and soon he became Vice president of the Asian Region AOA and then President.
He then became AOA’s member on the IOA Board rising to the position of President of IOA.
Since the IOA’s restructuring he has become vice president of ASPOA and is a member of the IOA Coordination Committee.
He has headed the ATH China Project team that has led to many successful outcomes for ostomates in China.
This past year he has worked in support of member associations in Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, The Philippines and Thailand.
He has been involved in Lions for Stoma care and has worked with others in many countries training nurses and ostomates. The ostomy visitor’s programme has also been focus. Recent work and successes have been in Iran, Kenya, The Philippines and South America.
I am sure you now know I am talking about Dr Harikesh Buch from Mumbai, India.
Harikesh has been able to work with ostomates and medical professionals of many races and religions to make ostomates lives better wherever they may be so
The IOA Coordination Committee has decreed that,
in recognition of his worldwide, dedicated, humanitarian service to ostomates,
as of 31 October 2014,
the “IOA Professional Service Award”
shall be renamed
the “Dr. Harikesh Buch Professional Service Award”.
Barry Maughan ASPOA President
