Dear Friends
We are moving from extraordinary Covid times into a phase of normality. I wish to thank all of you for the way our society, the East Zone Section of the Urological Society of India has pulled itself out from this period of crisis of the last two years, acquitting itself with distinction.
The challenges faced have been extreme, and the Governing Body of the Society have ably navigated us through these troubled waters with collective wisdom and guidance. Sadly we lost many members during the last two years to the pandemic and my thoughts return to them and their bereaved families. We also condole the deaths of Brigadier Rautray and Professor Anup Kundu both luminaries and past presidents whom we lost this year. The untimely passing of Dr Sanjay Prakash shocked all of us.
After the immensely successful annual conference held in person in November 2021, the new governing body of the society attempted to return our activities in the new normal with eagerness only to be thwarted by the third way of Covid which restrained us in the first quarter of 2022. Activities had to move into the virtual communications mode yet again.
We therefore conducted online weekend classes for postgraduate students with great success and universal participation of postgraduate teachers and students of the zone. Extraordinary behind the scene planning by our core academic team lead by the inspirational efforts of our Hony. Secretary Dr Ranjan Kr. Dey led to this very successful series of academic weekend programs spread out over the months of March, April, May and June. To all accounts the students benefited greatly in their preparations for their exams. The teacher participation was absolutely tremendous and I congratulate and thank them all individually and collectively for participating in this activity. Above all the forum was a medium for communication, interaction, fellowship for the members of all ages: are these not the objectives of any learned society ? The benefits of the online platform were exploited to the full, and recordings of the proceedings are now available on the EZUSI website as a permanent resource which can be updated as the years go by. This event, I fondly hope, will become a signal academic activity of our zone in future years as a permanent feature in our annual academic calendar.
Our scheduled midterm activities are going from strength to strength. The Assam Urological Society conducted an admirable midterm session in Guwhati on 22nd and 23rd April led by Organising Chairman Dr Sarwan Singhania and orchestrated by Organising Secretary Dr Puskal Bagchi representing Assam Urological Society. National and zonal experts demonstrated with outstanding skill various energy applications in prostate surgery. This meeting was attended by large numbers of postgraduate students who participated in a well organised preparatory mock test conducted with dedication by senior teachers of the zone. Full marks to Assam Urological Society for hosting this very successful mid term event!
State chapters are performing very actively with February, May and July annual meetings successfully conducted by Bengal Urological Society, Assam Urological Society and Jharkand Urological Society. Workshops have been hosted by Bengal Urological Society. I was privileged to attend many of these events, and note with gladness the energy off participation from all members of the urological fraternity as we come out of the pandemic.
The mind wants more!
Let us look forward to the forthcoming zonal workshop from 26th to 28th August 2022 on Laparoscopic Urology and Urology initiative (Shared care perspective in community urology practice) at Bhubaneswar to be conducted by the Urological Society of Odisha and lead by the Organising Chairman Dr. K. K. Panigrahi, Organising Secretary Dr. Subodh Das and Joint Organing Secretary Dr. Benu Panigrahi.
The Annual zonal conference at Rajgir, Bihar from 13th to 15th October 2022 is forthcoming and the most important event of the society will be organised by the Bihar Urological Society and lead by the Organising Chairman Dr. Rajesh Tiwari and Organising Secretary Dr. Shyam Babu Prasad. I welcome all members of EZ USI and all members of the USI to this meeting. The organising committee is working relentlessly to make this event a landmark success. It is being hosted in a convention centre of excellence and let us make it a very successful program with strong participatio
The role of a society such as ours extends beyond academics and fellowship. We have many contributions we can make towards the upliftment of urology. This could be in areas of education, practice, advocacy at various administrative levels, public health awareness, and collaboration with health care providers where urological services have not penetrated yet. Many such activities are being conceived, and at the zonal midterm meet in August we will organise a joint meeting with allied specialities and general physicians for a shared care approach to community urological issues.
Let us all work for progress of Urology in the East Zone! I wish all of you, and your families, the very best.
Dr Kalyan Kumar Sarkar
President EZ section USI