Dear Colleague,

There is a rotation among the 7 University centres for the SARB Presidency and after Professor Jan Poelaert from the Flemish University of Brussels, it is the turn of the Free University of Brussels.
So, it is a great honour for me to become the President of the Belgian Society of Anaesthesia and Resuscitation for the next 2 years.

First of all, I would like to thank Prof. Jan Poelaert and all the board members for the very good job they performed during the last years.  It was a big challenge for Jan Poelaert because at the same time, he became the head of the Anaesthesia department of the Flemish University hospital of Brussels and the President of our Belgian Society.  He has succeeded very well in this double challenge.   The 2010 congress held in Oostende on the 20th November was attended by more than 540 anaesthesiologists.   The programme and organisation were at a very high level.  There were excellent new initiatives such as the inclusion of a resident meeting, a case discussion session and a brilliant closing lecture.  We will try do maintain the same quality for our next congress on: “The perioperative pulmonary management from nose to diaphragm”.

During our last board meeting, we discussed the SARB objectives for the next future. 
Firstly, we will continue to offer the same grant and award prizes, announced in our Acta Anaesthesiologica Belgica.  
Secondly, we want to invite young Belgian anaesthesiologists to participate in the board meeting and the different activities of our Scientific Society.  
Thirdly, we want to improve the collaboration between the professional and the Scientific Belgian associations.   This union is very important for the defence, interest and promotion of our profession.   Today, a working group has started to write a text on the role of the anaesthetist nurse dedicated to help us either in the loco regional or the general anaesthesia management.  We will ask your advice on this proposal.
Fourthly, we want to demonstrate and explain to our patients, the public, the press, the medical directions and also the other medical specialities, the important role of our profession in the coordination and safety of the OR as well as in the global quality of care and pain management.  Therefore, we must take time to go out of our OR and we must take more places in the preoperative and postoperative settings. 
Finally, we want to maintain a very good team spirit within all the board members and all the Belgian anaesthesiologists whatever the evolution of the Belgian Politics!!  We must stay jointly responsible.

Without any doubt, I rely herewith on the support and full commitment of the complete Board and of our major sponsors (Abbott, AstraZeneca, Baxter, CAF DCF, Janssen, Schering Plough) to build out all these dreams and ideas and I wish you and your beloved, a healthy and successful 2011.

Luc Barvais, MD PhD