SIG Emergency Medicine report

Submitted By: Dr Victor Ng (Canada)
Join our SIG
The WONCA SIG on Emergency Medicine was formed in 2016 at the WONCA world conference at Rio de Janeiro. Since that time, we have grown to include over 100 members representing trainees and practising family doctors from all regions of the world. We have a strong work plan that is engaged in creating networks among members who are interested in acute and emergency medicine as a component of their family practice. Additionally, we have a commitment to provide quality workshops and learning opportunities at WONCA regional and world conferences and assist WONCA in providing technical expertise in the area of emergency medicine.

Our most recent meeting was held in Seoul, Korea in October 2018 in conjunction with the WONCA world conference. I will present to you some highlights since our meeting for your review:

• At our meeting in Seoul, we had identified that we did not have any members from the WONCA East Mediterranean Region. We are grateful to Dr Jinan Usta for suggesting the following doctors to our group and we would like to extend a warm welcome to:
o Dr Hassan Tawfik (Qatar)
o Dr Hassan Al-Bulushi (Oman)
o Dr Mohammed Saif Al-Hattali (Oman)
o Dr Nariman Babers (Egypt)

• We have established a SIG executive group with which we are in constant contact to discuss pertinent issues. The group members include both early career and experienced doctors represented several WONCA regions with attention given to gender equity.
o Dr Victor Ng (Canada) – Chair
o Dr Elena Klusova (Spain/VdGm)
o Dr Kim Yu (USA)
o Dr Nisanth Menon (India)
o Dr Pramendra Prasad Gupta (Nepal)
o Dr Joy Mugambi (Kenya)
o Dr Santosh Dhungana (Nepal/Spice Route)

• Dr Kim Yu is currently leading a discussion paper examining the role of family doctors in providing acute and emergency care around the world. She will be collecting examples to illustrate this from different perspectives. This project is moving ahead well. Please reach out to Dr Kim Yu or me should you have any questions regarding this project and/or wishing to contribute.

• We have committed to providing quality education sessions at regional and world conferences. We are in a fortunate position where we have more member engaged in this work that our ability to describe them in this report! However, I will highlight the phenomenal work of Dr Pramendra Prasad and Dr Nisanth Menon who have both presented at several conferences in South Asia on emergency medicine and plan to attend the WONCA Asia Pacific Region conference in Kyoto. Dr Elena Klusova will be presenting at the Vasco Da Gama (VdGm) Forum in Torino on emergency medicine topics and both her and I will be attending the VdGm preconference and 2019 WONCA Europe conference in Bratislava, Slovakia.

• We continue to assist the WONCA Executive and Dr Donald Li on matters relating to disaster planning and management. We look forward to being engaged in this work as these discussions and projects evolve.

• The planning of a WONCA emergency medicine conference is currently underway. Dr Pramendra Prasad is leading this and tentatively has been scheduled for August 2019 to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal. Please stay tune for more information on this exciting event and hope many members will be able to attend.