FIRST NATIONAL COURSE ON BRACHIAL PLEXUS SURGERY Jan29th to Feb 1st ,CHENNAI.
The inauguration of the First National Course on Brachial Plexus Surgery was held at 5.00 pm on 29.01.2004. Ms Preetha Reddy, MD, Apollo Hospitals who gave all the support to this conference on behalf of Apollo group of Hospitals, presided over the meeting.
Mr Venu Srinivasan a noted industrialist of south India was the guest of honor and inaugurated the course.
A highlight of the event was releasing of a CD containing the management of Adult Brachial plexus injuries compiled by our department. The first CD was received by Ms Preetha Reddy. Mr Oberlin and Prof Raimondi were felicitated for their participation as foreign faculty.
Prof R Venkataswami , chairman of the organizing committee welcomed the guests and the delegates. Dr V Purushothaman proposed a vote of thanks. This was followed by entertainment by a group of amateur dancers and later a dinner.
On 30th , 31st January and 1st February in the forenoon we had operative demonstrations by Prof. Christophe Oberlin from Paris and Dr. Pier Luigi Raimondi from Italy were the faculty. We had live surgery on 7 cases of Brachial Plexus Injuries. This was telecasted to the delegates. There were lectures and symposia by the International faculty and Indian faculty in the afternoon . About 90 delegates from across the country participated. It was a successful academic exercise on Brachial Plexus Surgery
Prof. Christophe Oberlin France Dr. Pier Luigi Raimondi Italy
On 31.01.2004 at 5pm the members who showed initial interest to join the group way back in August 2003 met at the summit hall of the Hotel Breeze, Chennai in connection with the formation of “Brachial Plexus Surgery Group of India”.
Prof. R. Venkataswami as Organising Chairman of the “First National Workshop on Brachial Plexus Surgery” presided over the meeting and explained the broad principles of this group and the need to form it. The paper on Guidelines was circulated to all those present.
GENERAL GUIDELINES:
AIMS:
• To interact among those interested in this area of Reconstructive surgery so that better management can be evolved to rehabilitate the unfortunate victims of Brachial Plexus Injury.
• To offer training to those who are interested in this field by those who are doing considerable work in this field.
• To create a website and a chat room.
• To draw up a protocol in the management of these cases which will be agreed by majority of us.
• To create a system of auditing for assessment of results.
• To transfer technology from developed countries.
• To get a national registry of Brachial Plexus Injury.
• To create awareness among the medical professionals about the current trends
in this field.
• To make the public realise the importance of safety on roads to prevent these injuries and to inform them what medical science can offer to them.
• This group can meet once in 2 years.
• To co-ordinate the activities a minimum of office bearers can be elected once in 2 years.
President.
Vice President
Secretary cum Treasurer
Executive members.
• Life membership: Rs.5000/-
• No annual membership. To be decided by the majority.
• The proceeds of the membership fee can be deposited in a bank and the interest can be used for running the day-to-day affairs.
• Live workshops and scientific sessions can be conducted once in 2 years.
Each and every member was asked to give his views on the subject and everyone of them came with very good suggestions and the following was agreed by consensus.
1. This group will be a pure academic body oriented towards achievement of excellence in the management of this problem of Brachial Plexus Injuries and to give quality service to those unfortunate victims. A General website to be launched for all those interested in this problem including the public. The aim is to educate the public and other colleagues in other specialities. It was agreed to meet once in two years alternating with Indian Microsurgical Society Meetings.
2. To have a life membership of Rupees five thousand for the members of “Brachial Plexus surgery group of India”.
3. For associate membership Rupees Two thousand five hundred only.
4. To have the following office bearers to formulate the general rules and regulations and place the organisation on sound track, President, Vice President, Secretary Cum treasurer, Executive committee members.
5. All the members unanimously requested Prof. R. Venkataswami to be the Founder President and authorised him to nominate the office bearers who will formulate the initial working of this group.
6. Accordingly Prof. R. Venkataswami nominated the following
Dr. Ashok Gupta – Vice President
Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy – Secretary cum Treasurer
Members
Prof. G. Balakrishnan – Chennai
Prof. Abraham Thomas - Pondicherry
Dr. Mukund Thatte – Mumbai
Dr. Mukund Reddy – Hyderabad
In addition a special committee was formed to formulate the constitution and other general guidelines.The following members were nominated
Dr. K. Sridhar
Dr. Mukund Thatte
Dr. Rakesh Khazanchi
Dr. Mukund Reddy
Dr. Gautham Biswas
Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy (Coordinator)
Dr. Mukund Thatte and Dr.Anil Bhatia were requested to formulate a web site.
The Founder President and the nominated members will continue in office till the next meeting and thereafter a new set of office bearers will be duly elected by the official members of the Brachial Plexus Surgery Group of India and the proposed constitution also will be placed before the general body for approval.
There was a general consensus that the venue of the meetings should be delinked from the prerogative of the President of this group. Accordingly the venue for the next meeting in 2005 was taken up and two nominations were received
New Delhi by Dr. Rakesh Khazanchi
Pune by Dr. Anil Bhatia
Members favoured New Delhi and requested Dr. Rakesh Khazanchi to organize the meeting.
Subsequent meeting in 2007 can be held in Pune.
Later members adjourned to the meeting of all the delegates assembled at the workshop venue.
Prof. R. Venkataswami gave an introduction about the need to form the Brachial Plexus Surgery Group of India and requested Dr. S. Raja Sabapathy to summarise the proceedings of the meeting held earlier to all the delegates.
The meeting ended with a note of new optimism and enthusiasm among the delegates. Thus the Brachial Plexus Surgery Group Of India was born on 31-Jan-
2004.
