The 41st Sino Luso International Medical Forum will be held on 26th – 29th January 2018. This stimulating 4-day scientific program brings health experts in trauma medicine from Portugal, Mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao to share their knowledge. It includes ITLS certificate courses, and keynote sessions in state of the art emergency and trauma surgery.

President of the Sino Luso International Medical Forum, Prof. Manson Fok, comments, “I am very grateful that so many experienced experts from Peking University and its Trauma Centre will travel to Macao to support our forum and this trauma medicine focused event. Peking University Peoples Hospital has been a pioneer in establishing a comprehensive trauma registration system in mainland China, and have assisted many ASEAN countries too. This forum will cover many topics such as disaster preparedness skeletal trauma. An experienced surgeon, Prof Patil from Hong Kong University, will give a talk about management of abdominal trauma. Pancreatitis, pancreatic trauma, and many other subjects will be addressed too.”

Dr. Billy Chan, Vice President of Sino Luso International Medical Forum, comments, “We always conduct high quality hands on workshop. This time, we have invited official ITLS trainers to come to Macao to teach our frontline medical staff. For more than 30 years, ITLS (International Trauma Life Support) has been at the forefront of trauma education at all levels of emergency care worldwide. Our workshops will be filled with practical, hands-on training that teach our local Macao medical doctors and nurses through realistic simulations behind all of the skills necessary for rapid patient assessment, resuscitation, stabilization and transportation of the trauma patient, etc”

Macao struggled to cope during super typhoon Hato last year in August with casualties and trauma victims. The typhoon claimed at least nine lives and many were injured. From Hato, we also learned and recognize trauma prevention as being integral (if not the most important) part of a robust trauma management system. The aim is to reduce the number of injuries resulting from road traffic accidents (which still remains the leading cause of serious injury in Macao) to establishing a good trauma registration system.

With an aging population that continues to grow, our trauma care program must focus our attention also on the elderly—and how to treat their falls. Elderly falls are the 2nd major cause of serious trauma accounting for more than 1/3 of serious injuries. Given our ageing population, the number of falls among the elderly is expected to rise in the coming years.

Prof. Fok continued, “Our forum will also attach an intensive ITLS certificate course therefore we can activity engage our healthcare stakeholders in trauma prevention. This will give us the added edge to collaborate our medical staff, nurses and doctors and encourage us to work as a team.”

This is the first Sino Luso International Medical Forum in the new year of 2018. It will assist the city’s medical pioneers in trauma management here in Macao, our local experts and many of our local frontline emergency medical staff are here tonight, we are here to advance the development of an integrated trauma care system for Macao SAR.”