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New beginnings feature
Introducing the Global Health Section Among the many disruptions to our daily lives caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, one of the most significant has been the transition to working from home and the rise of the digital workplace. We are deeply interconnected globally through the online world, and we have come to rely on these digital connections to bridge the physical and other divides that increasingly separate us. We are committed to drawing opportunity from this worldwide challenge and Global Health are working to establish the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) Global Health Section for Fellows and other professionals interested in global health, both in Australia, New Zealand and the many countries in which we work internationally. Across RACS, our sections cater to the specific needs of interest groups of Fellows where the interest is multidisciplinary or cross specialty. The creation of the Global Health Section is part of our wider effort to revitalise our governance structure, including broadening engagement across the Fellowship. The Global Health Section will bring together members including Fellows, anaesthetists, perioperative nurses, other clinicians and international development partners in a collaborative, supportive and respectful online space.
Members of the section will be encouraged to form hubs in areas such as specialty interests, geographical regions, specific diseases or academic focuses. These hubs will have the opportunity to meet online as often as necessary to support the needs of their members in alignment with the interests of the RACS Global Health Strategic Plan. “The intention for the section is to have easy connectivity between health professionals across the Asia-Pacific region – a constellation of clinical networks linked by common interests to accelerate our mutual learning and provide the best care to our communities,” Chair of Global Health, Ms Annette Holian explained. “The network will allow free communication and the sharing of ideas and documents without having to book meetings through RACS staff. The number of hubs will be limited only by member interests.” The Global Health Section will serve a variety of interconnected functions, including: 1. to provide a forum for surgeons from all disciplines and other professionals engaged in global health to connect and support the RACS Global Health Strategic Plan 2. to focus on capacity building efforts in order to meet the World Health
Organization Sustainability Development Goals in Health (SDG3) 3. to focus on strengthening surgery and health systems, with the aim of providing timely access to safe affordable surgical care for people in our region 4. to enable non-surgeons who contribute to global health to apply for membership of the section 5. to support partnerships to advance professional development through health education, along with systems development. “The Global Health Section is an opportunity to share the wealth of knowledge, diversity of experience and technical expertise across the health and international development sector,” Head of RACS Global Health, Philippa Nicholson, said. “RACS Global Health would like to enable transparent sharing of information to support a constantly growing program based on current experiences and standards.” Philippa also spoke of the section’s potential to better connect peers internationally. “We at RACS Global Health see this as a forum as much for Australian and New Zealand practitioners as for colleagues in the Asia-Pacific and globally.” Membership is open to any RACS Fellow, surgical Trainee or Specialist International Medical Graduate on a pathway to Fellowship, and medical staff registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Authority (AHPRA) or Medical Council of New Zealand (MCNZ). Registered medical and nursing staff in partner countries may selfnominate for membership. Each partner country will have a representative doctor, a Clinical Lead, nominated by their Ministry of Health who will be the hub lead for that country. If you are interested in joining the Global Health Section, please contact Global Health Engagement Coordinator, James O’Keefe, at global.health.section@ surgeons.org.
