Looking ahead: greetings from the president of Fecolsog

Abstract

I could say that my attachment to the Federation and the closeness I feel for it comes from my childhood. My father, Abel Villegas Botero, used to remember the 7^th Colombian Gynaecology and Obstetrics Congress held in the city of Cúcuta in December 1967 with great affection as it brought together (officially) the different societies and regional associations involved with the specialisation in the name of Fecolsog. He always attended the national conferences and enjoyed the scientific conferences and social activities with equal vigour and energy as they presented an opportunity for him to meet and become reunited with national colleagues and friends as well as foreigners; this continues being a structural part of our organisation. Fecolsog today, seen as a scientific and professional organisation, organically conserves the ideas which led to its formation and the sense of belonging instilled in its affiliates. However, today it has additional momentum and aspirations produced by new challenges and the needs of Colombian gynaecologists-obstetricians. The current setting forces our Federation (without forgetting its roots) to understand its members’ expectations and adapt them to the reality of Colombia and how healthcare is defined in Colombia today. The times are far gone when the doctor-patient relationship which governed medical practice in my father’s time; they led to a real link between professionals and the sick. The times when doctors were protagonists of society and we formed a fundamental part of the country’s decision-making groups are also long gone. Our Federation’s challenges today are thus different and complex. We must adjust ourselves to our reality; we must work towards assuming our leadership again and constructing spaces defining our speciality and guiding the Federation towards sustainable paths involving leadership and teamwork. We cannot waste the Federations’ opportunity regarding national and international leadership. We must exploit the space which we have gained during the last few years and move decisively towards the type of organisation which we have envisaged.