Rheumatology Updates:Fame At Last – An Ego Polished – Silence Broken
Fame is a passing thing, but all things come to those who wait! The Rheumatology Updates were originally planned for Febuary in Nairobi, Kenya. My ego was nicely polished by being invited to participate as a speaker at a 3-day workshop for Allied Health Professionals. The trip to Kenya was postponed twice due to the political unrest in that country. However last Wednesday I received confirmation that the trip is on.
The event is an initiative of AFLAR (African League of Associations for Rheumatology). The full title is The Regional Rheumatology Symposium and Workshops, Eastern African Region “Rheumatology Updates.”
Running from the 6th – 10th October there is a 3-day workshop for Allied Health Professionals, a Public Lecture (to be presented at the Holy Family Basilica Hall -the Cathedral) and the Rheumatology Updates will take place on the 8th & 9th at the Grand Regency Hotel.
I have to give three oral presentations plus two practicals at the workshops and (here’s the ego polish!) I have been invited to speak at the more formal updates on The Foot in Arthritis.
As far as I am aware, there is only one qualified Rheumatologist in Nairobi – possibly in Kenya. When I went there last year as part of a team from the Department of Rheumatology from the University of the Witwatersrand, for an AFLAR Congress, the hunger for knowledge was immense, but the resources very few. The intention is to not only impart knowledge but also to train people to provide better care to people with Arthritis.
I have also found out that there is only one podiatrist in Kenya too. A graduate of the University of Salford. Quite by coincidence I was a lecturer there in the 1970’s.
Sorry for the silence and lack of input to the site for the past month. Reasons? My associate got married and was on honeymoon, so I had to work harder! The winter respiratory dryness got me and I succumbed to a chest infection. Also got in a brief visit to my granddaughter in Hout Bay and the biggest time taker of all was setting year end examinations for the podiatry students at the University of Johannesburg.
However I can’t wait for the Rheumatiology Updates in Nairobi. As I said “fame at last, an ego polished and silence broken”.
