This year, on November 8, the European Society of Radiology (ESR), the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) and the American College of Radiology (ACR) will celebrate the fifth International Day of Radiology (IDoR 2016), along with radiological societies the world over. This follows the successful International Days of Radiology, starting in 2012, which were held with the aim of building greater awareness of the value that radiology contributes to safe patient care, and improving understanding of the vital role radiologists play in the healthcare continuum.
Medical imaging is one of the most exciting and progressive disciplines in healthcare and a field of great activity in terms of technological and biological research. X-rays, MRI scans, ultrasound and numerous other medical imaging technologies, as well as the eye-catching images associated with them, are known to many people, but the exact purpose and value of these services is not widely understood by the public.
We therefore chose November 8, the day that Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen discovered the existence of x-rays in 1895, as a day of action and awareness. We hope to alert the world to the stunning medical, scientific and even artistic possibilities of medical imaging, the essential role of the radiologist as a part of the healthcare team in countless medical scenarios, and the high educational and professional standards required of all staff working in medical imaging.
Breast imaging has been chosen as the main theme of the day, to highlight the important role that radiology plays in the detection, diagnosis and management of diseases of the breast. To fulfil this purpose the organisers are this year cooperating with the European Society of Breast Imaging (EUSOBI) and the Society of Breast Imaging (SBI).
The day is a joint initiative of the ESR, the RSNA and the ACR, with the full cooperation and involvement of the International Society of Radiology (ISR), as well as umbrella organisations on all continents, including the Asian Oceanian Society of Radiology (AOSR), the Colegio Interamericano de Radiología (CIR), the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Radiologists (RANZCR), and the Radiological Society of South Africa (RSSA – which also represents neighbouring countries). The European Federation of Radiographer Societies (EFRS) also supports the International Day of Radiology.
”I promise you, I will…” A promise – we may be the one speaking the words. Or, someone else may be assuring us that he will do something for us, she will carry out something on our behalf. If the person speaking is trustworthy, we can hope that we will get what is promised. If he or she is reliable, we may expect that we will obtain whatever we have been told would be done or given.
He was well-known, yes, he had a reputation, but not one to be envied. He was despised by his people for being a publican. As such, he was collecting the taxes from his fellow-Jews to the benefit of the hated power of occupation – the Romans. He was clever and knew how to profit from his post. He was a wealthy man and enjoyed his situation. Such was Zacchaeus (Lk.19:1-10).
Have you ever tried to obtain something from someone who showed no interest in your request? Worse still the person was not interested in YOU! This can be a most frustrating situation as many of us have made the experience. In such a situation, some people will simply walk away convinced that there is nothing to be done. Others, of a more stubborn inclination, will keep on asking, determined to get what they want. They will keep on begging and literally ‘pestering’ the one from whom they expect to get something.
When he was asked why he had taken this decision, the man explained that he had received from his doctor the verdict that… he had about six months to live. The businessman knew that this employee had wanted his eldest son to go to the university but, of course, now it would not be possible.
“He has left last year to… to… see the world. He did not do his last exams…” The businessman knew that there would be no ‘Thank you’ coming from that side…
If I mention the name ‘Habakkuk’ and if I add that he was a prophet, many people may not question my words but they will wonder about the identity of this man of God. He is the author of the text of our 1st reading on this Sunday (27th, Year C – Ha.1:2-3; 2,:2-4). On hearing his message, we might think we hear the words of Jeremiah. Like him, Habakkuk is somehow admonishing the Lord for the message given to him to speak to his people.
This day is celebrated worldwide on the initiative of the UN on the last Sunday of September, in honor of the establishment in 1951 of the International Federation of the deaf.