Associations like the Indian Radiological & Imaging Association (IRIA) have positioned themselves to be lobby groups for the concerns of their members but they must also strive to be the collective conscience of their fraternity.
Thus I hope the theme of the 67th Annual Conference of IRIA, ‘Better imaging for healthier life’ will resonate in all discussion halls and give this year’s focus groups, private practitioners and post graduate students, a lot of food for thought. These two groups today find themselves bearing a disproportionately large share of the responsibility of accurate and fast diagnosis, especially when traditional diagnostic tools like pathology prove inconclusive.
Take tuberculosis for instance. Controlling TB in India has been successful on a few counts but we have a long way to go: the country accounts for nearly a third of the global TB burden, with approximately 1.8 million new cases reported every year. It is no wonder that the top three most cited articles in IRIA’s peer reviewed journal, the Indian Journal of Radiology and Imaging (IJRI), all focus on TB.
The use of non-invasive imaging techniques like PET/CT and MRI is particularly crucial in difficult-to-detect TB infections like musculoskeletal TB or central nervous system TB. In cases of musculoskeletal TB, faster detection followed by treatment is crucial because it can prevent permanent destruction of joints and skeletal deformity. As these techniques and equipment continue to evolve, they offer hope for the millions of TB patients in India.
No doubt, IRIA is doing its bit. Among the many ‘firsts’ at this year’s meet, Organising Chairman of the 67th IRIA, Dr Bhupendra Ahuja informs us that each presenter has been asked to spend 10 minutes of their session sharing important tips on how to efficiently report one’s diagnosis.
The idea is to promote effective reporting in order to increase efficiency of radiologists and we hope this practice continues at all subsequent IRIAs and indeed other events patronised by this elite tribe. (See Dr Ahuja’s interview, on pages 37-38). Our cover story (Dose management: An urgent need; pages 12-21:) analyses yet another key concern area.
But even with the attraction of the Taj Mahal, IRIA 2014, Agra initially proved to be a tough sell, thanks to the fluctuating dollar-rupee exchange rates. It took Dr Ahuja nearly six months to convince exhibitors to participate, but inspite of these initial hiccups, I strongly feel that Dr Ahuja and his team will be more than happy with the turn out. Simply because no medical imaging company can ignore the sheer size of the three big emerging markets of China, India and Brazil. Question is, can we grow with our conscience intact?
Viveka Roychowdhury
Editor
