Bandar Seri Begawan - A new milestone was achieved for healthcare in Brunei Darussalam as an official ceremony took place last night, launching the Brunei Darussalam Orthopaedic Society.

Held at The Empire Hotel and Country Club, the ceremony saw the Minister of Health, Pehin Orang Kaya Johan Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Adanan bin Begawan Pehin Siraja Khatib Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Mohd Yusof attending as the guest of honour.

Speaking at the launch, the minister described the formation of the association as being truly important as it marks a milestone of great significance for orthopaedic services in Brunei.

"Having a professional body like the Orthopaedic Society is very important to the profession, because not only is the society responsible for looking after the interest of its members, but more importantly, it is also responsible in continuously promoting medical education, training, research and facilitating exchange visits of consultants," he said.

He highlighted that it is crucial so that the standard and quality of orthopaedic practice in Brunei Darussalam continuously improves with the rest of the world, and to ensure that it is on par with what is provided by international colleagues, particularly in terms of more advanced and up-to-date clinical procedures and management.

"The successful formation of the Orthopaedic Society of Brunei Darussalam shows the total commitment, strong spirit of teamwork and dedication amongst the orthopaedic professionals to share knowledge and best practices and then apply these to their daily practice in order to produce high quality and excellent care for the benefit of our nation, Brunei Darussalam, especially the patients we serve."

He highlighted that in the context of healthcare today, doctors, nurses and other allied health professionals are equally important because they all form an integral part in patient care and health management.

"I strongly urge the importance of strong teamwork, mutual understanding and cooperation among all of us, especially all of you who I regard as the most important front liners in the care of patients.

"This is our common goal which is particularly true in the current practice of medicine," he added. "When we all function as a strong and cohesive team and when everybody plays his or her part, the job itself is easier, simpler, more efficient and effective in producing the best results or outcomes.

"Moreover, overall patient care and well-being will benefit the most."

The minister also went on to urge his audience of medical professionals to take serious note that siloed thinking and poorly integrated care hinder a health system's ability to provide high-quality services for all patients, with consequences being especially severe for patients with complex care needs.

He said they must hence be willing to redesign their core processes to create and sustain a multidisciplinary care delivery system that includes several specific features.

"We are working interdependently and complementary to each other to work towards the same core business of providing care to our clients in order to produce the best quality of health services."

He also affirmed, "The patients will have to come first.

"Ultimately, a healthcare system that really works is one that gives most satisfaction to patients at the moment when the patients meet the doctors," he added.

Before the minister took the stage, the President of the society, Kylath George Mamman, gave a welcoming address, in which he said that orthopaedic surgery has grown significantly in Brunei.

He also thanked the minister and the Ministry of Health for helping orthopaedics by providing it its own ward at RIPAS Hospital.

Mr Mamman highlighted that the creation of the society will allow for orthopaedic practitioners in the country to interact with their colleagues from those in the Asean region and beyond.

Last night's launching of the Brunei Darussalam Orthopaedic Society, its logo and its website, also saw the attendance of Professor Ellewellyn G Pasion, the Secretary General of the Asean Orthopaedic Association (AOA).

He too spoke at the launch and on behalf of the AOA, congratulated Brunei's Orthopaedic Society on its formation, and said that they have long awaited this milestone.

"We have long wondered why Brunei didn't have an orthopaedic association, but it is now a reality, so, congratulations."

Meanwhile, he also took the opportunity to say that the AOA has invited the Brunei's newly-formed orthopaedic society to join them at their upcoming annual meeting in Kuching in June.

"I hope this is the start of closer cooperation and collaboration between the Brunei Darussalam Orthopaedic Society and all the Asean Orthopaedic Association members," he concluded.

Aside from the launch itself, another highlight of the evening was the presentation of an award of Honorary Membership to Dato Setia Mr Samuel Yapp Kai San, in light of his services and contributions to the medical profession in the country.

According to information from the Ministry of Health, orthopaedic services today have developed significantly in regards to surgical techniques and the design or manufacture of implants.

With the number of orthopaedic patients in Brunei increasing, the Ministry of Health has continuously worked on keeping up with developments in the field towards providing the best possible service to members of the public, and the formation of the orthopaedic society is in line with this.

Through the formation of the orthopaedic society, orthopaedic practitioners including consultants, doctors and allied health professionals will be able to share information and experiences towards the aim of further increasing the quality of the service they are providing.