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What is ASSA?
The Association of Surgeons of South Africa represents General Surgeons in South Africa, and aims to act constructively to address issues relevant to its membership.
ASSA membership has, amongst others, the benefit of a reduced rate of registration for the Biennial ASSA congress, and as of 2013 free and full online access the British Journal of Surgery and Annals of Surgery.
Covid-19 News – Call to limit non-essential surgery
Along with Surgicom, ASSA encourage the immediate postponement of all elective and non-essential surgery during the 21-day lock-down announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa. This will reduce traffic through our hospitals and therefore reduce contact and risk of transmission, protect healthcare professionals, improve the availability of personnel when really needed and spare precious resources (masks, gloves, alcohol) that are already in critically short supply.
We anticipate that urgent and semi-urgent surgery will continue through this time but we must anticipate logistical difficulties as hospital and ICU beds become occupied with Covid-19 patients.
ASSA Statement – Covid-19
We are in uncharted territory as a South African surgical community. The COVID-19 outbreak has been declared a global pandemic by the WHO and our South African President has appropriately responded by declaring a “national state of disaster” in order to activate national procedures.
There will be many updates on information and how we as surgeons will be expected to assist, as such ASSA will endeavour to keep the surgical community updated as this information is constantly and rapidly changing.
ASSA Statement – Arrest and Release of Surgeon and Anesthetist
The Association of Surgeons of South Africa (ASSA) has noted with grave concern the arrest of a surgeon and anesthetist following the death of a patient as a result of elective surgery. Although both surgeon and anesthetist have subsequently been released on surety, this unprecedented move by the authorities raises serious disquiet around the practice of surgery and anesthesia in South Africa, with potential detrimental implications for the delivery of quality healthcare.
Surgery in South Africa: Challenges, Barriers and the Value of Mentorship
Surgical training and practice in South Africa currently face many challenges, both internal and external. Although mentorship and other educational programmes exist, these are not readily available in all local training centres.
This survey was designed to obtain some understanding of the difficulties trainees and qualified surgeons are currently facing. The intention is not to replicate work already done, but to further enhance our understanding of these challenges in order to inform how these can be mitigated.
The Association of Surgeons of South Africa (ASSA) was founded in 1943 as a non-profit organization and is the body that represents General Surgeons in South Africa. Other specific surgical interest groups such as SASES, VASSA, TSSA and the CSSA are members of the ASSA executive committee and represented by ASSA on the South African Medical Association (SAMA) boards.
Our members represent the majority of General Surgeons in South Africa. ASSA aims to act constructively to address relevant issues. The better represented ASSA is by its membership the stronger its voice becomes.
