By Dr Sharon Gopalan
KUALA LUMPUR — The 17th AFCMA Congress 2021, with the theme Building Bridges through Healing and Spirituality, was successfully organised by the Catholic Doctors Association Malaysia (CDAM).
The Asian Federation of Catholic Medical Association (AFCMA) convenes its congress once every four years. Malaysia, being the host country, was scheduled to hold the congress in 2020. However, due to the pandemic, the congress was postponed to 2021. This year’s congress marks a huge milestone in the history of AFCMA itself, as it was hosted virtually for the first time.
Under the leadership of Dr Freddie Loh, the committee worked relentlessly for the success of the congress. Juggling our own medical practices and organising a virtual congress seemed like a mammoth task. However, our Lord’s hand was upon each and every one of us, guiding us every step of the way.
The congress took place virtually from September 16 to 19 with 253 delegates from across three continents and 14 countries and included doctors, nurses, allied healthcare workers and medical students.
It not only boasted an extensive number of delegates, but also an array of world class international speakers. The notable Alimurung Lecture alone garnered 777 views over the weekend. Similarly, many of the other webinars became of popular interest among delegates and garnered between 550 – 650 views.
The congress was officiated by Archbishop Julian Leow, from the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, with his opening message and Mass. Ecclesiastical Assistant Fr Phillip Chua presided at the closing Mass.
It was indeed a fulfilling weekend as Catholic Healthcare providers strive to heal humanity while striking a balance with the teachings of the Catholic Church. The call to serve as instruments of the Divine Physician requires compassion and humility. Many are caught at junctures trying to bridge healing with spirituality and it is congresses as such this one that gives us all the needed nourishment to keep us in check and help us to make the right decision at times of adversity.
It is also during this time that the AFCMA held its Annual General Meeting, electing new office bearers for the coming term, 2021 – 2024. We take this opportunity to congratulate the newly elected AFCMA President, Dr Shigeyuki Kano from Japan, as well as our very own members, Dr Juliet Matthew as Vice President of the AFCMA Committee and Dr Mark Tan as Chairman of the Ethics Committee.
Our sincere heartfelt thank you for all the support and prayers and for the outpouring of well-wishes received. We thank the generosity of our sponsors and those who gave donations in kind. The postcongress feedback has been overwhelming and we give all glory to God the Father for his steadfast love and divine providence.
The Continuous Professional Development (CPD) committee worked swiftly to ensure the congress recognition and approval of 20 CPD points awarded to Malaysian Doctors by the Malaysian Medical Association (MMA). All lectures and webinars are available for on demand viewing to our registered delegates for up to 30 days post-congress at afcma2021.vfairs. com
The bid to host the next AFCMA congress in 2024 was deliberated and has been awarded to South Korea. We look forward to meeting everyone there in 2024.
