WELCOME
MESSAGE

Greetings, and salam sejahtera.

On behalf of the Organising Committee, it gives me great pleasure to welcome you to Coloproctology 2022, the 20th Annual Scientific Congress of the Malaysian Society of Colorectal Surgeons (MSCRS).

The past two years can be said to have been one of the most disruptive periods in surgical history, due to that arch-nemesis, the COVID-19 pandemic. Surgical services were curtailed, surgeons were retrained and redeployed to non-surgical arenas, and surgical training was severely disrupted. With healthcare resources redistributed and focused towards COVID-19 cases, management of non-COVID diseases suffered from delays, with resultant poorer outcomes. Surgeons around the world were not spared from the negative consequences to healthcare providers’ own health - as frontliners ourselves, mortality and morbidity (particularly mental health) within our fraternity were bitter pills to swallow.

Nevertheless, surgeons are nothing if not resilient. In large part, that resilience is borne of the support that working in teams provides us. It is particularly salient, therefore, that the theme of this year’s congress is ‘Teamwork’. Whether in the operating theatre, or on the frontlines, surgeons have always understood the importance of collaboration - with doctors from other specialties, but also our allied health colleagues, our trainees and our patients. Diversity and inclusivity in our teams are crucial, if we are to harness the breadth of knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to create innovative solutions to new problems.

There are silver linings to be found in every cloud. We have become comfortable with the benefits of the virtual world, learning how best to combine platforms for the most effective dissemination of knowledge. Telemedicine has helped to decongest clinics and hospitals, without reducing quality of care. Simulation and artificial intelligence have helped to minimize the negative impacts on surgical training.

The Organising Committee has kept all of this in mind when drawing up the scientific programme. You will find contributions from around the world, addressing each of the issues highlighted above. While there are separate tracks focusing on surgeons, allied health professionals, colorectal cancer survivors and trainees, there has been a concerted effort to integrate the content, further emphasising the value of teamwork.

Although we have had to make the difficult decision to remain on a virtual platform for Coloproctology 2022, we believe that you will still derive many of the same educational benefits that a face-to-face activity would allow. I look forward to interacting with you in the ‘Alam Maya’, or virtual world, very soon.

Professor Dr April Camilla Roslani
President, Malaysian Society of Colorectal Surgeons
Chairperson, Organising Committee, Coloproctology 2022