I was invited to participate in WOD celebrations in Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia during the above time frame as they could not organise on 6 th October 2012 as official IOA WOD. 

Singapore :
I participated in WOD celebrations in Singapore at RELC international Hotel , organised by  ocal Ostomy groups from different hospitals along with a large group from Singapore general hospital (SGH ) as well as surgeons from SGH Nurses from SGH & few members of Singapore Cancer society (SCS ). Mr Patric Wong, Coloplast Hongkong & his team from HK as well as Mrs Lynette Lai & her team from Coloplast , Singapore were present to give help to organise this event. There was one ostomate with his care giver from Jakarta,  Indonesia also had attended this event. My press interview had appeared in Sunday Times on 16 th September 2012, local English daily ( Times ) a week before the WOD celebrations somany people participated in the event reading this article..

There were two sessions one in Chinese & other in English. Lectures were from local surgeon Dr Ng Chee Yung about current status of treatment of Cancer of Colon & rectum, ET nurse Ms Ong Choo Eng both from SGH, gave the account of Stoma Care in Singapore & mine was about Managing Stoma & Life & tips about various issues that ostomates have during their life & how to over- come problems in daily life.
 
There were about 60 ostomates & care givers for Chinese session & about 70-80 peopleattended English session. There were many questions & problems that ostomates face were raised & they were given satisfactory solutions for the same by local experts .

At the end of this event light refreshments and soft drinks were served.
Local Coloplast team took me around Singapore next day which was very nice  and I alsoenjoyed their local hospitality.

Taiwan :
I visited Taiwan for the first time to participate in WOD celebrations organised in three different cities, Taipei in North, Tainan in South & Tiachung in middle of Taiwan. |

Taiwan Ostomy Association was established in 1996. Current President is is Ms Po-Jui Yu. She is an ET & is also lecturer in School of Nursing in National Taiwan University (  NTU ). They have others in EC. They have about 300 members . They take yearlysubscriptions of NTD ( Local currency ) per member. New joiners have to pay NTD 500 to become a member of association. The Association hold yearly meetings in different cities of Taiwan. The local visitors are called members of “Roseclub”. In Taipei there are about 10 visitors or Rose club members in NTU hospital. There is no formal Visitors Training but experienced Visitors train new ostomates.

I was in Taiwan for four nights & five days but I my stay was organised in different hotels and different city every night.!! But it was very comfortable & memorable visit. Local Coloplast
Manager of Taiwan Mrs Teresa Lee and her local team along with Mr Patric Wong, Coloplast  Hongkong had helped local ostomy groups in these three cities to organise WOD celebrations.

Taipei :
On the day of arrival in the evening I had dinner with Executive members of TOWCNA ( Taiwan Ostomy Wound Continence Nurses Association) . President of TOWCNA is MsPo-Jui Yu. She is an ET & is also lecturer in School of Nursing in National Taiwan a University ( NTU ). She also is a President of Taiwan Ostomy Association .Also present at dinner were Mrs Elizabeth Kwei- Yin Wu An ET & Senior Nurse Consultant ET nursing from NTU Hospital along with few other ETs & Mrs Teresa lee and her team members from Coloplast , Taiwan.

Next day I participated in local WOD celebrations where about 60 ostomates & care givers  were present along with few ETs . Ostomates shared their experiences & I gave a lecture “Living with a Stoma “ where I covered life experience as well as how to deal with day to day issues and I gave an account of organisation of IOA & ASPOA & their activities and  their  role in International ostomy community. There was also Interactive sessions between healthcare professionals , ostomates and care givers.
 
In the afternoon I spoke to about 20 nurses on the nurse’s role in Stoma care as well as ontraining in stoma care for nurses. In the evening we travelled to Tainan.

Tainan :
We travelled to Tainan, a city in south of Taiwan, on the same day by high speed train which runs at about 350KM per hour. Ms Teresa Lee, Local Manager of Coloplast had organised a dinner with few doctors Prof. Alan Ko- Chi Niu , Mrs Kelly an ET in Chi Mei Medical Center, Tainan & few others including Mr Patric Wong ,from Coloplast Hongkong. It was an interesting evening as I got to know few things about local set up & got to know local health care professionals.

Next day I joined there WOD celebrations which was a big Event with lectures from local  surgeons about current status of Managment of Colorectal cancer ( Dr Yu- Feng Tian ,HOD Depart. Of Surgery), sharing of experiences by few ostoamtes, Copmlications of Ostomy and how to manage by local ET Mrs Kelly & I shared my experiences by lecture “ Living with a Stoma “. There were local group of dancers & musicians who gave some entertaining programme .My lecture had to be translated in local Chinese language which was done by Mrs Phillis, local educator in that hospital. About 80 ostoamtes, few care givers, Local surgeons & nurses participated in the event.

There was a press conference prior to the WOD celebrations where lot of journalists from local news papers came to interview all of us to know more about ostomy care in Taiwan and  cover WOD celebrations event. This was published next day in local daily.I had a tour of their hospital . I visited Asia’s largest Hyperbaric Oxygen treatment facilities run in that hospital where at a time about 16-18 patients can be treated. It was an eye opener for me to know what they are doing & have achieved in that facilities. I also spend some time in Stoma clinic managed by ET Mrs Kelly & her team of that hospital and their work load and Services that they provide is excellent. Mrs Kelly also manages wound care in the Hyperbaric  Oxygen Treatment facilities. Mrs Philis was accompanying me every -where I went as she was translator.

Taichung :
We travelled to Taichung , a city in the middle of Taiwan ,on the same day evening again by high speed train.

Next day morning , there was a WOD celebrations in China Medical University Hospital. About 80 ostomates, care givers, Nurses ( Mrs Wil-Lie Chen , Associate Prof., School of Nursing was also present ) participated in the event. It was again sharing of experiences by local ostomates, My lecture was on “ Living with Stoma “ just like in Taipei & Tainan and interactive sessions between health care professionals and ostomates. This was a very good sessions as lots of querries were raised on various issues of local ostomates & answered by local Prof. David,( Tao-Wei Ke) young & dynamic Colorectal Surgeon and by me. I was very  humbled by Prof.David presence through-out this event as he directly came from locala  airport after flying in to Taiwan from Van Counver ( 16 hours of flying ) after attending a Colorectal Surgeons meeting. This showed his commitments to the cause of Ostomates.

After the event we proceded to Taipei as there was forcast of hurricane hitting Taiwan next day when I was to leave for Kuala Lumpur for similar event.Fortunately this did not happen  as it changed its course towards Hong Kong. We had lovely dinner & visit to famous placesin down town Taipei. Next day Mrs Teresa showed me her local Coloplast office a and one of the oldest Buddhist temple where I could observe local customs of how to get rid of “ Evils Eye “ from some nasty evil persons on you.

Same day after noon I took a flight to KL, Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia :

I arrived in KL late in the evening. Next day I attended WOD celebrations organised by members of EC of MOSA. There were only about 10 ostomates, about 25-30 nurses & few doctors who participated in the event.

Again it was sharing of experiences by the ostomates, Current status of treatment of Colorectal Cancer by Dr Ms April Camilla Roslani ( Associate professor at UMMC ) and  Current status of Stoma Care and Training in stoma care in Malaysia” by Mrs Mariam an ET and Metron From University of Malay Medical Center ( UMMC )& I gave an account of  Current status of “ Stoma Care Training in Asia “. It was very well organised. In the evening there was a dinner for all delegates including entertainment with music, singing , local folk dances etc. Late Dato’ John Cardosa was remembered and  was posthmasly recognised in presence of his two daughters ( Dr Mary and Mrs Elizabeth Cardosa). It was a very touching moments for me as I told the people present that what- ever I have gained & reached in Ostomy world , its credits goes to Late Dato’ John Cardosa & MOSA as they have supported
me through- out my career in Ostomy world.

Next day I had two live radio interview for 30 mins each. Radio Interview with BFM and with Capital FM . ( BFM interview can be heard on
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/95740115/Health%20%26%20Living/2012-10-
01_DrHarikeshBuch_Ostomies.mp3 )

It was broadcasted live with questions being asked by listeners live as well. It was on all about Ostomy care in Malaysia, about local & International ostomy support group and their role and my personal experience as an ostomate and a surgeon. It also included common issues that ostomates can have and how they can be helped locally. Home care ( Community care ) of ostomates organised by Coloplast by arranging of home visits by ETs for those who can- not attend local stoma clinics was also announced.
 
Next day I visited some tourist places in KL & in the evening took flight to Mumbai.This was very productive travel around different countries specially Taiwan .