ASJ Anniversary

4 THE GLEANER | SUNDAY, MARCH 3, 2019 N URSES ASSOCIATION of Jamaica (NAJ) is delighted to offer sincere congratula- tions to the President and members of the Association of Surgeons in Jamaica (ASJ) on this your 60th anniversary celebrations. You have done well to maintain the vision and foresight of your fore-runners and I make special mention of John Goldingwho conceived the thought but did not allow it to fall on stony ground, however, ensured that the idea germinated into a legacy, that still lives on and remains very relevant after 60 years. Your aims and objectives have nurtured, educated and impacted not only members of your profes- sion, but also nursing and other health groups through your annual conferences and grand rounds in rural hospitals, and we thank you and the ASJ for this contribution. The ASJ has achieved much; you have come a long way and your members have ensured that the goal of ‘Health for All’ will be achieved. Much has changed over 60 years. We recall that inmost rural hospitals, the General Surgeon was the one who performed hysterectomies, Caesarian Sections and Orthopaedic surgeries, but now we are blessed with the various spe- cialties in most of our institutions where your members perform de- liberate and targeted specialised interventions to improve the health of the populace. You are also now moving ahead to be on par with other first world countries, as we have seen a tremendous increase in the use of cutting edge technology such as the use of laparascopy and laser treatment that aid in earlier recovery period for our patients, which was unimaginable in Jamaica 60 years ago. This did not happen by chance but through the commit- ment of your members to ensure greater improvements in health care and sometimes with very little or at your own expense. The NAJ thank your members on behalf of the populace, because we believe the Jamaican population should have access to the best available treatment to present and respond to their health care needs. A milestone of 60 years provides the ideal opportunity to reflect on T HE FACULTY of Medical Sciences at the University of theWest Indies (UWI), Mona, congratulates the Association of Surgeons of Jamaica (ASJ) on the achieve- ment of its 60th anniversary. This outstanding lifespan is testimony to a strong and vibrant organisation that has been making a signif- icant contribution to improving health and well-being in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Our surgeons are at the forefront of saving lives in the context of Jamaican society. The epidemic of injuries facing our population with violence and road traffic accidents as the main perpetrators, calls for skilled sur- gical intervention and care in our hospitals across the country. These demands are always competing with surgical care for other con- ditions ranging from the management of an inflamed appendix to removal of dreaded cancerous tumours. The reality is that wemust be very grateful for the 60 years of service given by the ASJ to the country. The Faculty is particularly proud of the Association, whose many members were trained through postgraduate Doctor of Medicine programmes in surgery developed and delivered by the UWI. In the past decades, we have seen growth and development of training to include a wide range of surgical specialties and increased use of technology in surgical care and treatment such as laparo- scopic surgery. Additionally, themembership of the Association has given of their time and expertise to our training programmes and are key in building a partnership of quality in training. We are indeed very grateful. The Faculty along with the University, cel- ebrated 70 years of service in education in 2018. However, there can be no celebration without partners and so, we join with the Association in celebrating now and in antic- ipating the future. We welcome the crafting of an era of further strengthening of collab- oration in training, research and service in the coming decades to benefit Jamaica and the region. Tomlin Paul Dean, Faculty of Medical Sciences, UWI, Mona A strong and vibrant organisation We thank you and the ASJ for this contribution Tomlin Paul Carmen Johnson PLEASE SEE ASJ, 5 MESSAGES ASSOCIATION OF SURGEONS IN JAMAICA 60TH ANNIV SARY FEATURE: THE SUNDAY GLEANER MAGAZINE | MARCH 3, 2019