Dr Benjamin Filipopoulos
HMSA Board, DiT Subcommittee Director
Education and collaboration are among some of the core values of the Hellenic Medical Society of Australia, with regular informative events a frequent occurrence prior to the pandemic. Just as organisations across the planet have had to step up into the world of Zoom and Microsoft Teams, so too has the HMSA now entered this domain. On the 15th of September, the HMSA hosted its first zoom-based educational webinar with a focus on Covid-19, and various aspects of the pandemic. The webinar began with an introduction to the virus itself, by Associate Professor Tom Kotsimbos (Respiratory and Infectious Diseases Physician), followed by a discussion on the psychological burden of the pandemic, coping strategies and a view of the Covid-19 pandemic from Associate Professor Vicki Kotsirilos (General Practitioner). Subsequent to these speakers, Dr Con Giannellis (Intensivist) presented an insightful talk on the challenges of Covid-19 from an ICU perspective. Dr Giannellis’s presentation was followed by a contrasting presentation on Covid-19 from the Greek ICU perspective, by Athens-based Intensivists Dr Despoina Koulenti (MD, PhD) and Dr Maria Theodorakopoulou (MD, PhD). Dr Koulenti and Dr Theodorakopoulou both kindly presented while on-duty in the Intensive Care Unit of Attikon University Hospital, Athens. Dr Theodorakopoulou elaborated on some of the challenges faced within the Greek Intensive Care setting, and the creation of a nationwide electronic platform to better manage all Covid admissions across the whole country, with which Dr Theodorakopoulou was heavily involved. The night concluded with an update on mRNA vaccine-induced myocarditis by Associate Professor Arthur Nasis. Overall the webinar was attended by HMSA members across all levels of training, from consultants to medical students from both Australia and Greece. Watch this space, as it marks the beginning a series of webinars until such time that members of the Associated can once again come together in person.
We welcomed the following guest speaker from Greece:
Dr Despoina Koulenti
Dr Maria Theodorakopoulou
