“Orthopaedics Full Circle – Paediatrics and Geriatrics”.

This years annual scientific meeting has as it’s theme: “Orthopaedics Full Circle –Paediatrics and Geriatrics” When I talked to my colleagues about this theme, there were many comments but the one that stood out was “surgery at the extremes of life.” This implies a beginning and also an end.

But if life describes a circle, then there is no beginning and no end, rather geriatrics describes how one circle is finally completed and paediatrics describes how another begins anew.

These two topics have special relevance in Singapore where we are one of the fastest ageing populations in the world. Singapore also has one of the lowest replacement rates in the world.

How we manage our elderly has tremendous impact on the economics and well being of our senior citizens. However it has greater impact on us as a people, a profession a nation. How we treat this group of people will define us as individuals and as professionals.

Similarly our children represent all our hopes and aspirations. They are our message to a future many of us will not see.

I can think of no two more important topics for this year’s annual scientific meeting. I trust that you will enjoy the meeting and leave it a little richer and a little wiser for the experience.