Before the start of June’s highly successful IFHE-EU 2015 Congress in Turku in Finland (see also page 17), the Federation’s Executive Committee and Council met at the city’s Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel (see photo below), reports IHEEM’s IFHE representative, Andy Wavell.
“At the IFHE Executive Committee meeting on 31 May there was much discussion on ways to continue bringing the organisation up to date. As there were two requests – from America and Brazil – to hold the intermediate IFHE Council meeting in 2017, both countries were given the opportunity to present their proposals, which were then put to the full IFHE Council meeting the next day. The Council decided that Brazil should hold the 2017 Council meeting.
“In my role as commissioning editor for the IFHE Digest, I presented a short paper on both the 2015 and 2016 editions. The Committee was pleased to see a slight increase in profit.
“Forty-one members from over twenty countries attended the Council meeting on 1 June. The President, Liliana Font, welcomed all to the meeting, and thanked Juha Rantasalo, the Association’s President, and the Association for Finnish Hospital Engineering, for hosting it, alongside the IFHE-EU Conference.
Engineers ‘not engaging’ with their national associations
“Emphasising her desire to help both engineers and architects progress within their chosen professions, Liliana Font (of the Asociación Argentina de Arquitectura e Ingeniería Hospitalaria) told Council she was ‘particularly concerned that in South America engineers do not engage well with their national associations’. The good work undertaken to encourage membership of IFHE among South American countries continued to bear fruit, however, with Columbia about to become a full member, Mexico (whose association has 50 members, plus a number of honorary members) having applied to join, and work continuing in Peru to form an association, with the view to it joining the IFHE.”
At the IFHE’s Council meeting in Buenos Aries last October, it was decided to review the Federation’s Statutes and Standing Orders. Andy Wavell said: “As a follow-up, in Turku I presented suggestions on changes that, in my view, would bring these documents up to date. After some discussion, it was agreed that a project group be formed to provide definitive suggestions for the Council meeting to be held in Holland during April 2016.”
Project Groups
Other Project Groups were also formed to take a number of issues forward. These were:
Environmental Policy – chaired by Darryl Pitcher, plus Steve Rees, with representation from IHEEM.
Education – chaired by Steve Rees, plus Marcio Oliveira.
Publications – chaired by Francisco Castella, plus Andy Wavell.
Safe Hospitals – chaired by Paul Merlevede.
Standardisation and Regulation – chaired by Christian Bender.
Social Media – chaired by Gunnar Baekken, plus Julian Amey.
Public Relations – chaired by Douwe Kiestra, plus Walter Vernon and Steve Rees, with assistance from the IFHE Secretariat.
Statutes and Standing Orders – chaired by Ronnie Browne, plus Andy Wavell, Darryl Pitcher, and Marcello Fiorenza.
Healthy financial position
“In presenting his financial statement,” Andy Wavell explained, “the Treasurer, Steve Drinkrow, indicated that the organisation continued to have a healthy position, and that, following previous agreement, more capital held had been put on deposit. Although interest rates are low currently, this would make monies held work for the organisation. Steve Drinkrow also thanked the Secretariat in Portsmouth for its stewardship of finances.
“A number of short reports were also presented. IFHE vice-chairman, Douwe Kiestra, confirmed that work on the 2016 IFHE Congress event, to be held from 18-20 April next year in The Hague, was continuing, and reminded Council members of the building award competition taking place in association with the Congress (see page 19). Darryl Pitcher of the IHEA indicated that the team for the 2018 Congress in Australia was now in place, and that professional congress organisers were about to be engaged. A meeting had been held with the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, now confirmed as the venue.
Work with the WHO
“Paul Merlevede, the IFHE representative to the World Health Organization, gave an update on recent meetings where requests were made to assist with areas such as ‘Safe Hospitals’, construction of bunkers for cancer treatment, emergency risk, and crisis management.
“I reported on the 2015 IFHE Digest,” Andy Wavell continued, “confirming that the royalty paid to IFHE had increased, but that the organisation needs to be mindful of persuading more member country advertisers to consider using the Digest as an advertising medium. The use of all platforms to deliver the Digest has shown that, in the short time since its issue, there has been considerably more interest than previously. A suggestion for changes to the way information was distributed to members was made, with positive feedback.
“Chair of the Environmental Policy group, second vice-president, Darryl Pitcher, advised that the policy document previously presented was now a framework for IFHE to develop worldwide. He also mentioned that other organisations’ members could join.”
