How did we start?

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I am often asked as to what prompted me to found this Association.

Day Care Surgery is something we all have heard about and being doing for many years, then why the need of a new association? Is it necessary? How did you think of it?

Day care surgery was not new to me too, working with Late Dr. P. K. Jhawer, as a house surgeon, we were encouraged to perform surgeries under local anaesthesia and minimal sedation, as a result that the patient literally walked back from the OT to his bed. The anaesthesia part was taught to us by non other than Late Dr. G. S. Ambardekar, who was the oldest practicing anaesthetist of that time. There used to be a big waiting list of patients wanting surgery in the free class, the only way to accommodate these patients was by using the same bed twice or thrice in the same day! Of course, we were not very popular with the nursing staff as the paper work increased for them too. As they were free patients, the hospital did not earn anything from these exercises. But, we gained a lot of experience and confidence and the patients got their surgery too. Dr. Begani, was part of this team.

We would participate in conferences and present papers on surgeries done under local anaesthesia. We became a member of the British Association of Day Surgery. This lead to an exchange of notes over the internet, with the editor of their journal and got an invitation to write about day surgery in India, titled: 'Day Care Surgery in India', which went on to be published and earn a mention in the editorial of the April 2003-Spring Issue of the British Day surgery journal.

I got a lot of details from the internet on situation of Day Care surgery all over the world, with links to several National and International association dedicated to Ambulatory surgery.

During the time of writing this article, I thought, why not have an association of our own? Our country with its lager and still growing population definitely can benefit from the economical advantages of ambulatory surgery.

Late one night, in the month of January 2003, I called up Dr. Begani with this idea and concept. He was very encouraging and all for it. He offered the use of his office as the secretariat.

Next day, I spoke to a few senior surgeons, amongst them, Dr. L. H. Hiranandani, Dr. D. D. Gaur, Dr. R. D. Bapat, Dr. B. R. Shah, Dr. Keki Mehta, Dr. R. B. Singh, Dr. P. B. Pai Dhungat, were prominent, many senior and junior surgeons when contacted, literally jumped to the idea, they responded positively and encouragingly, thus, was formed our founding executive committee. Dr. M. M. Begani was the Founder President. & I, the Honarary Secretary.

A group of eminent and like minded surgeons from across the specialty, agreeing to work under one banner and popularize a concept, which will benefit the patient population in India, was the aim of this association. The other spectrum of patient population aimed to benefit from this concept are the ones who do not have much time to spend in the hospital and too much depends on them to even think of being away from work even for a few hours.

Thus, emerged 'The Indian Association of Day Care Surgery', as it was known earlier, changed to 'The Indian Association of Day Surgery'. It has grown from strength to strength, crossing the 100 member mark in the first year, we hosted the First National conference: 'ADSCON 2005' at INHS Aswini, Naval Hospital, Mumbai. Since then, there was no looking back.

This, my friends, is the story of the beginning of an event in the surgical history of Modern India.

A few handful of surgeons, with a dream to provide health care in India, in the form of Day Care surgery, have gathered to consolidate their armamentarium and work towards a country with the best and most modern surgical care.

We hope, one day, our dreams will come true. And the rest is history.

                                                                                                                                           - Dr. T. Naresh Row - President, The Indian Association of Day Surgery

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