Leicester doctor becomes President of International Federation for Emergency Medicine

A Leicester doctor who was a pioneer in developing emergency medical care in Leicestershire and throughout the world has become the first elected President of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine.

Dr Gautam Bodiwala, CBE, JP, DL, an honorary graduate, former member of Council, clinical teacher and examiner at the University of Leicester, founded the International Federation in 1990, to bring together nations where emergency medicine is a developed specialty and those wishing to develop emergency care.

Its membership has grown from eight to more than forty national organisations since he became president.

Dr Bodiwala commented:  "Every citizen of the world is entitled to have emergency medical care.   Through the Federation we want to create an international level of interchange, understanding and cooperation among physicians practising emergency medicine.

"Our goal is to offer advice and guidance to emergency medicine practitioners worldwide through training and certification programmes for doctors, and to establish emergency medical systems where they are needed."

He emphasised that the International Federation does not impose any one country's programme on another country, recognising that geography, disease profiles and cultural and religious needs differ throughout the world.  

Its aims are to deliver the basic fundamentals of emergency care, tailored to each country's needs, with the help of organisations such as the World Health Organisation (WHO).

As part of the exchange of knowledge and skills, since 1986 the International Federation has been holding an international conference every two years.   The conference next year will be in Singapore and first symposium in 2011 will be in Mexico.

Dr Bodiwala, who has helped to established emergency care worldwide, including in India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa and Bulgaria, was the first consultant appointed in 1977 to the Leicester Royal Infirmary as a specialist in developing emergency care.

He remained Head of the Department there for 25 years until his retirement, contributing to the development of emergency care training for doctors, nurses and paramedics.   In honour of his work, the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust named the department "Gautam Bodiwala Emergency Department" in 2005. This is the only emergency department in the world named after someone.   He said "I was very humbled and touched by the Trust's sentiments towards me."

Dr Bodiwala's tireless service in the cause of emergency medicine worldwide has won him a long list of prestigious honours.   In 2000 he received the highest honour awarded by Her Majesty the Queen, the Commander of the British Empire (CBE), for his contribution to national and international development of emergency care.    The same year, the University of Leicester conferred the honorary degree of Doctor of Science on him.

Within the UK, he was among the first consultants to be appointed in the field of emergency medicine and was instrumental in developing training for doctors.   He was Chairman of the Joint Committee on the Higher Training in Emergency Medicine (UK Training Board) for six years, and a senior examiner for the College of Emergency Medicine, which he helped to develop and for which he was responsible for inviting the Princess Royal to be patron. He was also a senior examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.

Dr Bodiwala has been the international co-ordinator of emergency medicine in the UK for more than 25 years, his activities leading to the foundation of the International Federation for Emergency Medicine in 1990 with its constitution being formalised in 2005.

He has given more than 100 keynote, eponymous and plenary lectures throughout the world in countries which include the UK, USA,  Canada, Australia, both Western and Eastern Europe, Greece, Mexico, South Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and India, and he has published more than 70 scientific papers and a book.

He is an advisor to WHO Europe and to WHO in Geneva (HQ) and sits on its Trauma and Emergency Care System Committee.

Dr Bodiwala said:  "The UK is one of the leaders of the world in developing emergency medicine as a specialty.   I have been extremely fortunate to be part of this development and evolution.   The Government and Health Service have been very receptive in accepting our thoughts and ideologies, and I am very proud of being part of that evolution."