News : Dr Sr Prema Devaraj SND
Pics: Fr Victor Vijay Lobo, CCC

Mangalore, Feb, 17: ‘Sister Doctors Forum of India’ (SDFI) held their XVIII annual General Body Meeting(AGBM) and Continued Medical Education programme (CME) at Shanthi Kiran, Bajjodi, Mangalore from Friday February 17 to Sunday February. The forum has a membership of 650 specialists and super-specialists from all systems of medicine working in both hospitals and rural health centres catering to the poor and the underserved. Two hundred sister doctors participated in the programme.

This AGBM is special as the campaign ‘Let The Girl Child Live’ was launched by Sr Dr Lucian SCC, president of SDFI. In her address, she highlighted the alarming facts regarding the missing girl child and awakened the audience on the dire consequence of the decline in the sex ratio. A concrete action plan has been drawn up to be implemented in the regional and national levels by the sister doctors.

At the inaugural session Sr Dr Emily Susai FMM, vice president welcomed the dignitaries and all the participants. The president of CBCI health commission, Dr Vincent Concessao, arch Bishop of Delhi presided over the function. The keynote address was given by Dr Thelma Narayan, secretary, Society for Community Health Awareness, Research and Action, Bangalore. Fr Tomi Thomas, IMS director general CHAI, Fr Patrick Rodrigues, director ‘Father Muller Hospital’, Sophia , principal of Roshni Nilaya felicitated and congratulated them for their committed and untiring services and taking up the cause, ‘Let The Girl Child Live’.

Sr Dr Vida Olivera SCCG, the local organizing secretary cum president of the Karnataka regional unit proposed the vote of thanks.