Activities of ASPOA In 2016
By Dr. Harikesh Buch
President ASPOA

Mr Barry Maughan from Hamilton, New Zealand, Chair person of IOA CC and Treasurer ASPOA was invited to attend the WCET biennial congress in Cape Town, South Africa in March 2016. He accepted the invitation and attended the congress to maintain contact between IOA and its regions with WCET and Industry members. He also gave a talk on the day of plenary session of the congress about on the importance of maintaining the relationship and co-ordination between IOA and its regions as well as WCET. It was well received by all the participants.

Vietnam – Email about news from Dr. BUI, NGOC MINH TAM, MD. (Ms), (emailtam.bnm@umc.edu.vn) Head of International Collaboration Unit Training and Scientific Research Department, University Medical Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. “Actually, there have been major changes within our Training & Scientific Research Department in the past few months. We’ve had many activities focusing on stoma care. Dr Nguyen Huu Thinh (P. KHDT) (email-thinh.nh@umc.edu.vn) has got a new
position: Manager of Training & Scientific Research Department since June 1, 2016 (He is my boss now.) We’ve had exciting news and promising activities coming forward: our 2 RNs will join the CAET ( Canadia Association of ET nurses) online course this September and 2
more will hopefully attend the next online course in January 2017. There were some problems with the ET nurse online training course thus leading to the delay but we made it finally.

In my previous email yesterday, I forgot to inform you 1 more great news that we have operated the 1st Stoma Care Consultation Unit right at the Digestive Surgery Department (11th Floor) for about 3 months. This is one of the very first consultation units across Vietnam, and we’ll give you further details about this special unit for sure. Dr Thinh is
also in charge of this consultation unit. Also, Dr Thinh and I have discussed with Prof. Joy Notter from Birmingham City University (UK) about the participation of UMP-UMC as one of the Partner Countries in the ERASMUS+ project, starting February 2017. This project will be focus on capacity-building for higher education of nursing, especially for Surgical Nursing (ET Nurse), Operation, Orthopedics, Critical Care Nursing…That would be great opportunity for us. Prof. Joy and Mrs. Pat Black will run the ET workshop at our own institution this October, this will be the 1st ET workshop in Ho Chi Minh City and southern region, so we are truly excited about that.”

India – Mrs Di Bracken ( Past President IOA) visited Mr Barry and Mrs Jackie Maughan in Hamilton, New Zealand in early March this year. She enjoyed the hospitality of Barry and Jackie as they spent some time showing her the beautiful country of New Zealand.

As well both had good discussion about ostomy world and work done and still needs to be done specially in Asia and Africa. She then visited Mumbai, India and stayed with my family in Mumbai. We had good
extended family get togather along with my friends as well while she was in Mumbai. She had first- hand experience of staying in our joint family of Buch clan (10 family members staying under one roof and with one kitchen).

While she was in Mumbai, she had an opportunity to meet and had dinner with Lion Dr Ashok Mehta, who was the past president of Lions International Clubs Foundation and very helpful to the short training courses organized under project “Lions For Stoma Care” (LFSC) in countries of Asia; Kenya; Iran and South American countries which was initially started by Prof. Carlo Pezcoller of Modena, Italy with the help from Lions of Modena, Italy.

Lion Dr Ashok Mehta arranged our meeting (Di and I) with Lions leaders of Africa during their conference in Mumbai. We did a presentation to them about current situation of ostomates life in African countries and how with the help of Lions of Africa we can improve the life of ostomates in African countries. We did submit a seed grant request for five different countries of Africa for training of health care professionals as well as ostomates under the project LFSC in the period 2016 to 2018. They have promised to discuss further amongst themselves in international meeting of Lions in Japan later this year. We have high
hopes to get the seed grant for this project.

Later Di and I visited the city of Udaipur in state of Rajsthan followed by visit to “Taj Mahal” in Agra. Her tour ended in Delhi from where she left for Toronto on 5th April. Shealso had an experience of travelling by train in India. She enjoyed her stay and her visit to India.

Ostomy Association Of India (OAI) held the election of its EC members at its AGM in May this year. New office bearers have taken over from the previous EC office bearers. The new EC of OAI will report these changes to the ASPOA secretory.

China – I had an opportunity of visiting my niece who is doing an internship in Nanjing medical university in Nanjing, China in later part of April early May this year. During this visit I was invited by a Chinese ostomy bag manufacurer (BAO-Health Medical Instrument Comp. Ltd ) to visit their factory about 70 KM from Shanghai in a industrial town
of Tongxiang. This was a very interesting and informative experience. Mrs Nancy & Mr Benjamin, husband wife team manage this unit and they have a partner who does marketing.

They have excellent ostomy bag manufacturing unit with semi automatic and automatic machines which can produce about 10,000 stoma bags per day. They have a wide ranges of ostomy bags which are of very good quality as well and apparently they are number one in
online sale of stoma bags in China.

Philippines – There was a 9th Annual meeting Of Asian Society of Stoma
Rehabilitation (A.S.S.R.) in Manila, Philippines on 12th and 13th of May 2016. It was organised in The Medical City Hospital in Manila.About 250 doctors and nurses from many countries of Asia attended this meeting.

Dr. Manuael Fransisco T. Roxas from Medical City hospital, Manila, Philippines was the president of the congress and ET nurse Mr Rhyan A.Hitalla was the Vice President of the congress from the same hospital.
Founder Director General of ASSR Prof. K.Shindo, Secretary General Prof. Maeda from Japan, Prof. Carlo Pezcoller from Modena, Italy, Dr Harikrishna Nair from Malaysia, Ms Siew Beng Tai ( ET) from Penang, Ms Ravathy Ramamurthy(ET) from Malaysia, Ms Wen –Hui Tseng (ET) from Taiwan, Ms.Wen-Pei Huang from Taiwan, Mr Paris Purnrl from  Australia, Ms Yuko Hondat; Sadanori Kamikawa and Terumi Fukoi from Japan , Ms. Widasari Sri Gitarja (ET) from Indonesia etc were the international guest speakers.

I also this attended this meeting . There were many eminent doctors and ET nurses from Philippines who were the local speakers. Various subjects and topics related to stoma care, wound care and continence were covered during the conference by various doctors and ET nurses from many countries of Asia, Australia and Italy.

For the attendees during the congress, organisers had organised visits to the colorectal surgical clinic as well as stoma clinic in the same hospital. Both were very impressive. There was also meeting of representatives of various Asian countries with the committee members of ASSR. Most important decisions were taken among them was the stepping down of Prof. Shindo as a Director General of ASSR and Prof. Maeda from Japan was unanimously elected the new Director General of ASSR. General assembly of ASSR unanimously nominated Prof. Shindo from Japan as Honorary Director General of ASSR.

This assembly unanimously agreed to have a short training course for general nurses on stoma care just like “Lions for Stoma Care” and a short training course organised by Prof. Shindo in Japan. Members also agreed on the various topics that have to be covered during the training. The assembly of ASSR also agreed that at the end of this short training course the certificate that will be given by the country which organises this course. Director General of ASSR will also be a signatory and the nurse who will complete this course will be termed  as “Asian Stoma Nurse”. This will increase the number of general nurses who will be able to give basic stoma care to all the patients with stoma in every country of Asia.

Malaysia – ET association of Malaysia “METNA” have organised a 10 weeks ET training course as well as in Penang there would be a short training course of five days on basics of stoma care along with a practical training in the respective centres from nurses where they will attend the short course. There will be – 2 weeks wound care attachment
(modern & latest concept in managing acute & chronic wound) 19 – 30 Sept 2016 and 2 weeks stoma care attachment (basic & advanced) 4 – 14 Oct 2016 at University of Malaysia medical centre (UMMC).The brochure for both are attached here.

Indonesia – News from Ms Widasari Srigitarja (srigitarja@yahoo.com) , ET nurse and President of WOCARE, Bogor, Indonesia “I was glad that our team met you in ASSR conference last month in Philippine. I hope you are healthy and much happier with your travel around the world this past half year of 2016.

I am happy to give you some news from Indonesia:
• First, on behalf of Indonesian Ostomy Association, I would love to introduce Mr. Denny Richard as a NEW president of InOA-YKI and of course that to remind us about the membership of our association as a part of world ostomy organization. Denny is young and energetic and much passion to help ostomate. I was really impressed with him and his wife at the first time we met. We hope Denny will help our project for Indonesian Ostomates.
• Secondly, again, we are still concerned to get paper work of custom duty and Tax free for  free bags from NZ and FOW Canada. I met president of NZ ostomy in Cape Town a few months ago and had discussion for sent some bags to Indonesia. I also have been
discussing with Indonesian custom and they asking us about the dimension square of the box that packed the bags. In a few condition they will be help. If you do not mind Doctor… please help us to get communication with them. The other way of sending bags are through
the post office. If I’m not wrong, YKI (cancer foundation) has been doing via post office since 2014.
• And last but not least…. Is about 2nd WOW-OMG it will be held in Surabaya, 22 – 23 October 2016. We hope that some friends from other country will be happy to come and make it synergy with us. The conference and gathering also has support from Co-Host the Indonesian Cancer Foundation and the Surabaya government. We would love to ask that ASPOA also support this conference so the activities of this conference would be around the world. I will continue my letter to you asap. Thank you for everything that you have done to help Indonesian ostomate.
Keep in touch Doctor Buch.”

Japan – Email from Prof. Michi Takaishi “It is my honor to inform you that the Japan Ostomy Association has elected the new president succeeding me who has served last four years as JOA president.v New president is Mr. Tsuyoshi SASAOKA, who was born in 1939, got urostomy surgery in
1998, joining JOA’s Yokohama chapter immediately, was elected the chapter’s executive member in 2002, was elected JOA’s board member in 2003, and has worked as the JOA’s executive board member since then including vice president from 2009 to 2013.

He has been a very active member of JOA in the international activities as well, participating in most IOA, AOA or ASPOA conferences, and visited Mongolia and Vietnam to inaugurate the twin programmes between JOA and ostomy associations of both countries with me.
His term of office as the president is two years from June 2015 to June 2017. I wish you all to extend your friendship and kindness to him, too. His e-mail address is; sasaoka@yf6.so-net.ne.jp

Sincerely yours,
Prof. Michiaki TAKAISHI, JOA representative to ASPOA ”.

Mongolia – Email news from Dr.Enkh, President of MOA
“Thank you for sending me this email. I understood. Let me try to respond to Ms.Ruth Salinger’s request. MOA used to be the only ostomates organisation until recently. I found out from you that
Mr.Baasandai and his group decided to have their own organisation. Mr.Baasandai was our Board member till last year month April when he decided to resign as Board member on health concern. Unfortunately, I have no more information to give you. It will be nice to help them if there is such an opportunity. Regarding MOA, we have signed MOU with Australian Fund last year. But there is a big issue inconsistent supply of bags. Last year we received a very tiny amount of bags.

Last shipment of about 300 bags took place in October 2015. Mr.Geoff Rhode wrote me that he had health problem since November of 2015 and they were unable to help us. Hopefully, Australian Fund can ship some supply soon. Of course if FOW-USA can help again MOA same as 8 years ago, it would be great thing. We, MOA, can deliver ostomy appliances to Mr.Baasandai’s group. Their number should be quite low.
I hope what I wrote can be of help.”

Dr.Enkh, President of MOA.November 2020 and those associations who for whatever reason were not able to attend in Seoul should start to work towards joining us all in Delhi.