Indo-German exchange plan for surgeons launched

TRICHY: The Trichy Surgeons Society and University Clinic of Freiburg, Germany, have forged a partnership and launched the Indo German Endoscopy & Laparoscopy Society (IGELS) the inauguration of which was held in the city on Friday. The main purpose of forming the society, according to the founding members, is to exchange knowledge on a broad scale in the health sector, particularly in the field of minimally invasive surgery.

The inauguration was done during the first day of a CME, “Fellowship course of Indian Association of Gastrointestinal Endo Surgeons” being held in the city. Consul General at the German Consulate Chennai, Karin Stoll, was the chief guest. IGELS founder-secretary Dr K Govindaraj said that the main purpose was to build a bond between Freiburg and Trichy and exchange knowledge on a broad scale. Through IGELS, doctors from Trichy would go to Germany and vice versa on a frequent basis. “Apart from this, live-surgery programmes have also been organised for Indian students. “It’s a great opportunity because Freiburg’s is the third largest hospital in Germany,” Dr Govindaraj said.

The two main fields which will be on focus would be gastroenterology and bariatric surgery. In her address, chief guest Stoll said that the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce brought together more than 7,000 German and Indian companies and that Tamil Nadu alone had over 130 companies that created about 25,000 jobs. She said that to make the partnership even more sustainable, a joint working committee comprising representatives of the government of Tamil Nadu, the consulate general of Germany and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce had been set up.

Speaking about the health sector, Stoll said, “Chennai and TN are already important destinations for medical treatment not only for Indians, but also for patients from abroad. Germany’s healthcare system stands in high esteem and German medical technology works for the people it serves, both at home and abroad. This, we can say, is a perfect match.”

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