The past three years have been exceptionally challenging for the whole world with the rise of the COVID-19 pandemic, which put humanity in a great test of patience, compassion, and unity. Frontliners, and especially healthcare providers, have risen up to the challenge and demonstrated an extraordinary level of altruism and sacrifice. We -as surgeons- have been an instrumental force in managing the pandemic, and we are continuing until now to rebuild the system in its aftermath. Many of us have been working out of normal working hours and during weekends to alleviate the suffering incurred to our patients by postponing their elective surgeries. For that, I would like to extend my greatest gratitude to every single one of you.
The pandemic has also put humanity through another unforeseen challenge in its history, which is social distancing. This unaccustomed behavior has become the new norm during the past three years, to the extent that we could not recognize each other anymore without facemasks.
Along with all the efforts to tame down the COVID-19 virus, our Society’s activities have been severely affected, as were the activities of many other institutions and organizations. Now that the cases have become under control, we were able to regroup ourselves and rise from the ashes. The Society has elected its new board members in November 2022, which marked the beginning of a new, post-COVID, kick. We have been successful in organizing a number of activities since then, the first being the Difficult Case Rounds in December 2022 and the OSS Hike in January 2023. In addition to those, the Society achieved another milestone in February 2023 by organizing the first Women Surgeon of Oman Symposium and establishing the Women Surgery of Oman Club under its umbrella. Kudos to you all!
The Society will continue to organize high-quality academic and social events throughout the year. The highlight of this year’s event will be the 9th Surgical Update and the 2nd Oman Trauma Conference, which is planned for November 2023. I would like to encourage everyone of you to participate with your research projects and attend the conference. Your active engagement in the Society’s events is the sole method of ensuring its sustainability and it vital for the progression of the profession in the country.
Best wishes to you all,
Dr. Yaseen Al Lawati
President of the Oman Surgical Society