Dear colleague,
I am very pleased to have the privilege to address you as the elected Chairman of the European Urogynaecological Association.
Since the late nineties Ulf Ulmsten has made enduring attempts to promote European urogynaecology to the level of acknowledged 3 members of the European Board and College of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
His patient efforts to reach this important target bearded fruit in the new millennium and so the EUGA was founded by his successors in 2002.
We were able -together with C-G. Nilsson, H. Koelbl, E. Petri and other members of Executive Committee supported by the Agentura Carolina- to create bylaws, temporary web pages, to open the office and register the membership.
We participated at the program of IUGA Meetings in Europe (Torino, Athens, Lisbon) and Schwerin/Mainz Annual Urogynaecological Meetings. Thus, we were able to organize Annual General Assembly and meetings of the Executive Committee.
Prof. Heinz Koelbl used regular quarterly meetings of EBCOG Steering Committee attended by the chairmen of all 4 subspecialities of obstetrics and gynaecology to exercise activities in the field of European health care and educational policy. The main result of this pursuit is an elaborated working system of European accreditation in urogynaecology (please, visit www.ebcog.org) under the auspices of the Committee on Hospital Recognition and Subspecialist Sub-Committee (Prof.J.Wladimiroff ). A substantial number of institutions of several European countries reached this important level entitling them to the international education in urogynaecology.
The further tasks of EUGA are as follows:
- to improve the quantity and financial discipline of membership
- to create and operate the European network of telemedicine thus providinig the consultation service in urogynaecology for its members
- to organize own seminaries, congresses and workshops
- to find a steady financial support for the Association
I do hope, you will show your interest in improving image and political influence of your subspeciality in Europe and your respective countries not only by registering as a member, but mainly by bringing new ideas into the Association which was created for you.
Prof. Michael Halaška, MD
Chairman
15.10.2008