Join the Caribbean Association of SurgeonsDR. TREVOR McCartney, now immediate past president of the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica, in his parting rallying call as president urged his
colleagues to join the newly-formed Caribbean Association of Surgeons, especially in the face of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME).
"We have the largest association of surgeons in the Caribbean, however... the Jamaican fraternity has not been in a hurry to embrace this Association (The Caribbean Association of Surgeon), and to date there seems to be only four members on this body. As I leave this position, I am going to urge members to join the Caribbean Association of Surgeons, to give strength to the association, to help plot the direction of surgery in the Caribbean and with CSME being a reality, to allow our members and the entire Caribbean to spread their wings," he said.
Dr. McCartney said that The Association of Surgeons in Jamaica is one of the most vibrant associations in the medical fraternity and with its mandate for continuing medical education, the association has been tremendously successful over the past two years.
He said that in his capacity as chairman of the National Council on Continuing Medical Education, his job is to ensure that surgeons are striving to obtain the highest level of surgical care for the people of Jamaica.
Time to take stock
Dr. Geoffrey Williams, newly-installed president of the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica, said that the association in its 46th year was meeting its original objectives but cannot rest on its laurels.
There is room for improvement in the level of practice of some surgeons, he said, especially of younger members.
"The onus is on the Association to change with the changing times, I would like to suggest that just as in nature there is continuing rebirth, renewal and adaptation to the changing environment, the same applies to organisations such as ours. If we are stuck in the same old mode, year after year, we will become irrelevant to the younger generations of surgeons and our survival will be threatened," he said.
As part of efforts to improve the level of practice, a website will be set up to disseminate information to members and the general public.
Health authorities are
burdensome
Dr. Kenneth Baugh, opposition spokesman on Health said that the four new regional health authorities have regional directors, technical directors, and many other directors for personnel, administration and finance together with parish managers and parish bureaucracy, which is proving to be too heavy and expensive a bureaucracy.
This organisational structure must be re-evaluated, especially where there is serious financial constraints amounting to a serious financial crisis in the health sector," he told surgeons at the 46th annual meeting of the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica.
Dr. Baugh, also a surgeon, and guest speaker at the function, said that the achievement of the health sector are largely due to the dedication of the country's health professionals.
Despite financial constraints, members of the profession, have brought to the people of Jamaica, state-of -art equipment and technology, in laparoscopic, and laser surgery, radiology and other specialist services.... the addition of these equipment have contributed to personal and national development. Despite high cost, the overall effect on efficiency, early diagnosis and early intervention, have proven to be sound economic principle, saving on overall cost of patient care," he said.
