Volume 46 No 4 2005

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Report from the Bolivian Division

One of the high, snow capped mountains that overlooks La Paz, the capital of Bolivia. La Paz is at an altitude of 3,000 metres. Visitors from sea level frequently suffer some of the early signs of altitude sickness when they first arrive - light headedness, mild headache, mild shortness of breath on exertion. As one flies into the airport some of the first streams that form the Amazon River can be seen. In June, 2005 the airport was cut off from the city by demonstrators, so visitors could not go into the city. Lake Titicaca is situated about 2 hours drive west of La Paz. It is at an altitude of 3,812 metres and is the highest large lake in the world. It covers an area of 8,446 square kilometers (3,261 sq. miles).

The Bolivian Division had a highly successful Annual Meeting in Santa Cruz
( the second city of Bolivia situated in the South.) May 29-31, 2005. About 150 delegates attended. It was held in conjunction with the Bolivian Society of Cytology and the Bolivian Society of Gynaecology. The topics were Gynaecological Cytology; Colposcopy; Pathology of the cervix, Infectious diseases, especially AIDS and Parasitology.

Dr. Edith Claros of Santa Cruz was the main organiser of the Conference. The guest faculty consisted of Patricia Alonso de Ruiz, Mexico; Roberto Elizalde, Argentina; Eduardo Morales, Chile; Jose Manuel Ojeda, Chile; (Cytology, Colposcopy and Pathology of the cervix) Ann Marie Nelson, USA (AIDS) and Robin Cooke, Australia (Parasitology.)

The venue was the newly renovated building of the Bolivian Medical Society. The Medical Society has its administrative offices and a sizeable lecture theatre with space for trade displays and catering on the ground floor. Office space, particularly on the second floor is leased by various medical specialist societies.
There are 3 major Medical Schools in Bolivia to service the approximately 8.5 million population. About 50 students from the Medical School in Santa Cruz who were doing a course on Parasitology at this time, attended the Slide Seminar on Clinical Parasitology presented by Robin Cooke. Clinical Gynaecologists, Colposcopists and Oncologists attended the conference for the segments on Cytology and Oncology.

Some of the organisers of the Congress. Jaime Rios Dalenz third from the left.

The lecture podium prepared for the opening ceremony of the Congress. National flags of the Guest speakers from L – R Australia, Mexico, Chile, Bolivia, Argentina and USA.

One of the sites on the Tourist agenda for visitors to Santa Cruz is a visit to the villages and churches built by the Jesuit Missionaries from about 1730. The most famous of these Jesuit builders was a Swiss priest named Martin Schmid. He was a talented architect, musician, sculptor, teacher and administrator. He enhanced the artistic and musical talents of the indigenous Indians, and harnessing these talents he built a number of highly decorated churches which were surrounded by well planned villages. He designed and made musical instruments and created a tradition of musical excellence that continues to the present time.

The Mission Javier (St. Saviour) built under the supervision of Martin Schmid from 1749 – 1752. It is constructed of wood and decorated with carvings and brightly coloured paintings.

The Jesuits are credited with having introduced into Europe Cinchona bark for the treatment of Malaria. The Cinchona tree grew well in the area near Santa Cruz and the indigenous Bolivians knew that eating its bark was a useful treatment for the fever that is now known as Malaria. In Europe this medication became known as the “Jesuitical Bark.”
Cinchona tree plantations are now established in a number of Tropical countries. The trees are harvested every 4 years and quinine is extracted from the bark. It is used mainly as a flavouring ingredient, and some is used in the manufacture of Quinine.

Above: A roadside market on the way to the Mission Javier. Coca leaves are being sold from the large white bag. These are added to tea for flavouring. Cocaine is the purified extract from Coca, but very large quantities of the leaves are needed to make a small amount of Cocaine. (‘Crack’ is highly purified Cocaine and it is administered as a snuff).

Martha Calderon Secretary of the Bolivian Division and her daughter from La Paz.

Patricia Alonso, guest speaker from Mexico and Edith Claros, chief organiser from Santa Cruz.

Jose Ojeda (red shirt) Guest lecturer from Chile with other delegates to the Congress.

Medical Students attending the Congress.

The 2 secretaries of Dr. Edith Claros who very efficiently staffed the information desk.

A group of Medical Students who attended the Parasitology Slide Seminar.

Delegates at the Congress.

Delegates at the Congress. Ingrid Bruckner an Oncologist on the left.

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Report on the Inaugural Meeting of the Taiwan Division of the IAP

An up-market Restaurant facing a narrow walking street in one of the old towns on the North Coast of Taiwan. This was once a brothel frequented by itinerant mine workers. (photo by Su yuan Kuo).

The inaugural meeting of the Taiwan Division was held in the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital and University School of Medicine, Taipei on May 15, 2005.
Over 300 delegates attended. The main topics were Anatomical Pathology, Cytology and Ethics. Two overseas speakers were invited to attend – Prof. H.K. Ng, Head of Pathology at the Chinese University in Hong Kong and IAP vice President for Asia, and Prof. Robin Cooke, University of Queensland Medical School and Editor of the News Bulletin of the IAP. They each gave a keynote lecture.
The IAP Division and the Taiwan Society of Pathology will be a single organization. To cement this union, the incoming President of the IAP Division is Dr. Donald Ho, the present President of the Taiwan Society of Pathology. The Secretary of the Division is Dr. Shih-Ming Jung, a staff pathologist at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital.

Tseng-tong Kuo (right), Founding President of the Taiwan Division of the IAP and Donald Ho, incoming President of the Division.

Tseng-tong Kuo, President of the Taiwan Division, middle front row, with members of the Council of the Division, the organizing committee and the 2 invited speakers.

Prof. Tseng-tong Kuo was the driving force in forming the Division. He was the founding President of the Division, and chief organizer of the inaugural meeting.
Tseng-tong did his post graduate study in the USA. In 1964 he went to Stanford where he did a PhD in Bacterial Genetics and then specialized in Dermatopathology and Haematopathology. He moved to Barnes Hospital, St. Louis where he was responsible for the Dermatopathology. In 1976 he moved to Galveston, Texas. In 1981 he was head hunted to become Director of Pathology at the Chang Gung Hospital in Taipei. He has been in this position for 24 years. For 11 of those years he was also Dean of the Medical School. He contributed to two of the recent WHO Tumour books – Haematopathology and Dermatopathology.

Chang Gung Hospital from across the large lake in the hospital grounds. Children’s Hospital L, main hospital with the service facilities R.

The Chang Gung Memorial Hospital has a bed capacity in excess of 3,000. It has 50 operating theatres and the ancillary facilities that this needs. The hospital and the Medical School are in a precinct of Taipei that is owned by a 90 year business man, Ghang Gung. Chang Gung started his business career by importing plastics, mainly from Japan. He then purchased this large area of land and built a factory that manufactured various types of plastics products including polyvinyl pipes. He proceeded to build a city around the factory.

All the services of a city were provided, including ultimately a world class hospital complex, a medical school, and interestingly, an immaculately maintained 18 hole private golf course with a sumptuous club building.

Taipei is situated at the Northern end of the island of Taiwan. Taiwan was formerly called Formosa – beautiful island – a name given by the Portuguese in the 1600’s. About that time gold and coal were mined along the NE coast of Taiwan. This brought workers from Europe, especially Portuguese and Dutch and from neighbouring countries. To-day, this part of Taiwan’s history remains as a Tourist attraction in the form of old towns that cling to the steep hill sides. The narrow walking streets in these towns were lined by small shops and brothels. Many of the brothels are now fashionable Restaurants.

Celebratory banquet at the exquisite 18 hole private golf club owned by Chang Gung. L-R , Susie Ong, Chun Hsueh, Swei Hsueh, Robin Cooke, Tseng-tong Kuo, HK Ng, Donald Ho.

Wai Ngan and Susie Ong, staff pathologists at the Chang Gung Hospital accompanying the visitors to the Imperial Palace Museum.

Sun yat Sen memorial park (yellow roof) and City Hall next to it (with a rounded front) taken from the observation deck at the top of the present “world’s tallest building.” The 101 building, opened in 2004. Sun yat Sen (1866-1925) known as the “father of modern China” was influential in overthrowing the Imperial system of the Manchu Dynasty in 1911.

Tseng-tong Kuo with some pathology trainees and the invited speakers.

Tseng-tong Kuo with his pathology trainees and, at the far right, staff pathologist and Secretary of the Taiwan Division, Shih-Ming Jung.



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MEETINGS