8 October 2015
For Immediate ReleasePress Release Source:Global Healthcare Travel Council Secretariat Media Contact:Dr. Constantine Constantinides+30 6945857642constantinides@healthcarecybernetics.com________________________________________PreambleThe 2nd General Assembly of the Global Healthcare Travel Council was convened on 8 October 2015 – during the 2015 International Medical Travel Exhibition and Conference (in Dubai – at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre).Delegates and Countries28 Formal Delegates participated in the deliberations of the General Assembly – representing the following 22 countries (in alphabetical order):
- Azerbaijan
- China
- Cyprus
- Germany
- Ghana
- Greece
- Hungary
- Jordan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Morocco
- Nepal
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Romania
- Russia
- Tanzania
- Turkey
- Ukraine
- United Arab Emirates – Dubai
- United Kingdom
- Uzbekistan
INFORMA, organizer of the International Medical Travel Exhibition and Conference (IMTEC), was represented by Mr. Eben Botha, Exhibition Director.Election of President and Secretary General for 2015 – 2016During the deliberations of the General Assembly, voting was conducted for the election of President and Secretary General for 2015 – 2016.Dr. Fawzi Al-Hammouri, FRCP, ACPE – Chairman of the Private Hospitals Association – Jordan, was elected President.Dr. Constantine Constantinides, M.D., Ph.D. – Director, healthCare cybernetics (the UK-based Health Tourism Sector think and do tank) was elected Secretary General.Mr. Abdallah Hindawi (Jordan) was elected Deputy Secretary General.Election of Honorary ChairmanMr. Emin Çakmak (the outgoing President) was elected Founding and Honorary Chairman.Election of Supervisory Board PresidentMr. Yunus Gurkan (the outgoing Secretary General) was elected Supervisory Board President.Election of Vice PresidentsThe General Assembly elected the following Vice Presidents:
- Ms Jia Xiao Fang, President of China International Health & Medical Tourism Association – CIHMTA (China)
- Dr. Anitonios Vlachousis, Vice President of Elitour (Greece)
- Dr. Laszlo Puczko, CMC, Ph.D., xellum, The Tourism Observatory (Hungary)
- Dr. Adedayo Sobamowo (Nigeria)
- Ms Medvedeva Oxana, President, Russian Healthcare Travel Council (Russia)
- Dr. Layla Mohamed AlMarzouqi, M.D., Director of the Medical Tourism Program, Dubai Health Authority, (UAE – Dubai)
Election of new Advisory Board MembersThe General Assembly elected two new Advisory Board Members:
- Dr. Claudia Mika (CEO, Temos International GmbH – Germany)
- Professor Dr. Halil Tolga Kocum, M.D. (Professor of Cardiology – Turkey)
Establishment of Supervisory BoardThe General Assembly decided to establish a Supervisory Board.President of this Board will be Mr. Yunus Gurkan – with Dr. Violetta Janyshevska and Mr. Alexandru Constantin as members.Establishment of Ethics CommitteeThe General Assembly decided to establish an Ethics Committee to be chaired by Dr. Subash Pyakurel – with Dr. Constantine Constantinides, Dr. Claudia Mika and Prof. Dr.Halil Tolga Kocum as Members.Dr. Constantinides had already compiled the “Ethical Standards and Code of Conduct” Handbook.All member countries need to sign a document agreeing to adhere to – and comply with – the Ethical Standards and Code of Conduct of the Council.New Member CountriesApplications for Membership from the following countries were approved:
- Botswana
- Cyprus
- Romania
Offers to provide Health Tourism Education to the Council MembershealthCare cybernetics (hCc), the pioneer of formal Health Tourism Education, (through its International Health Tourism Academy) offered to provide Educational Services to members of the Council – on a concessionary basis.In addition to hCc, Dr. Claudia Mika (Temos) and Dr. Laszlo Puczko (Resources for Leisure Assets) also offered to provide education or training to GHTC Members.The offers were accepted by the General Assembly.It needs to be pointed out that an “Education and Certification Task Force” was already in place (led by Dr. Elizabeth A. Ziemba, JD, MPH – President of Medical Tourism Training, Inc. – and Mr. Irving Stackpole, RRT, Med – President of Stackpole & Associates).This now means that GHTC Members have a wider choice to select from (depending on their needs and scope of interests).Offer to provide Policy and Strategy Advisory Services to the CouncilhealthCare cybernetics (hCc), offered to provide Policy and Strategy Advisory Services to the Council – free of charge – for one year.The offer was accepted by the General Assembly.Location of IMTEC 2016 – and 3rd General Assembly of the Global Healthcare Travel CouncilLocation of the 2016 International Medical Travel Exhibition and Conference (IMTEC) and the 3rd General Assembly of the Global Healthcare Travel Council will be announced in due course.For further information regarding the Global Healthcare Travel Council and this Press Release, contact:Dr. Constantine Constantinides, M.D., Ph.D.+30 6945857642constantinides@healthcarecybernetics.comENDS
