ASSR-ASPOA Joint Conference 2014 Ho Chi Minh Vietnam

The 8th Biennial Conference of the ASSR-ASPOA was held in HoChiMinh Vietnam from October 31 to November 1, 2014. This was highlighted by the House of Delegates meeting where the members of the ASPOA gave country reports and there were presentations too coming from the Executive Committee.

The event also marked the renaming of the IOA Professional services Award now called The IOA Dr Harikesh Buch Professional Service Award. It was presented as follows by the ASPOA President Mr. Barry Maughan where he says “This most deserving Awardee has a passion for helping others be it ostomy patients, their families or fellow medical professionals.”

“I have selected a few of the awardees achievements. He has represented his country on ISO when discussing stoma care, continence irrigation and skin protection products. He was actively involved with WCET when their conference was in his country as a member of the organising committee and Chaired the Congress. His
presence at many IOA and Asian conferences are noted where his focus has been on ostomy patient support.”

“In Asia,he has been a founder of ASSR and organised and hosted the 1stASSR Conference and has continued this support. In his own country his achievements in support of his fellow medical professionalsare too many to list. He has published books on Stoma rehabilitation,opened stoma clinics, organised medical advice for all
stoma associations in his country.”

“Recently he published at his own expense a manual for ostomy caregivers Our Awardee is a colorectal surgeon graduating as a doctor in 1966 and becoming a Professor at his university. As I said at the beginning this Awardee has given much voluntary time throughout his career to make ostomy patients live better.It is with much pleasure I ask Emeritus Professor Katsuhisa Shindo to come forward to accept the IOA Harikesh Buch Professional Services award.

The short affair has been a successful event experiencing the Vietnamese culture for the participants.