The delayed 2021 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists’ (RANZCO) 52nd Annual Scientific Congress will now be an online-only event from Saturday 26 February to midday on Tuesday 1 March.
“The RANZCO Board has waited until the eleventh hour to make this decision to afford all possible chances of a face-to-face meeting. However, the risks are simply too high,” said Alex Arancibia, RANZCO’s head of member support. Anyone who booked for social events will receive a full refund for these, she added.
The congress will be an opportunity to look towards the next 50 years of science, ophthalmology and the college, said convenors Drs David Gunn, Katie Chen, Abhishek Sharma and Brad Horsburgh. “As everyone knows (or should know), life begins after you turn 50!” Sending a special ‘haere mai’ to their New Zealand colleagues, the convenors said they reflected on the welcome they received at the last New Zealand congress. “Our then-president and now convenor Dr Brad Horsburgh dodged controversy by donning a rugby jersey that was half Wallabies, half All-Blacks.”
“The beauty of live-streaming the whole event is that people can register and attend from anywhere in the world. We are hoping many international ophthalmologists will also be tuning in,” said Dr Gunn.
The opening speaker is mountaineer Dr John Taske, who will recount his part in the ill-fated New Zealand Adventure Consultants’ expedition to Everest in April-June 1996, while Queensland local Dr Dinesh Palipana OAM will be the guest of honour. “The scientific programme is robust, with 17 accepted courses and symposia selected from 46 submissions. Posters will be available, as well as films. And the 52nd congress sees the launch of a new stream with a focus on professional development, which includes sessions on cybersecurity, governance, supporting patients, health and wellbeing and more,” said Dr David Gunn
