NEW ALGORITHMS FOR HEALTH CARE, SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT, AND TOURISM
This is the title of the 71st FEMTEC Congress, facing an ailing Europe,
while Ukraine, Russia, and China stand out for the revival of their thermal centers.
In the era of the digital revolution, new challenges for the revival of hydrotherapy image and contents emerge from the Conference, closed yesterday in Batumi (Georgia), the “Pearl of the Black Sea”.
Care and treatment protocols, based on scientific data and safety, use of advanced digital diagnostic and rehabilitation techniques, identification of new public and private management formats for thermal facilities, inclusion of hydrotherapy in national health schemes, refurbishment of facilities and staff training in the light of the new needs and socioeconomic changes under way across the world: these are some of the main issues that more than two-hundred experts from 23 countries discussed and agreed during the 71st Congress of FEMTEC, the World Federation of Hydrotherapy, engaged in official relations with the World Health Organization.
The Federation hymn FEMTEC Suite, “Ubi thermae ibi salus”, was played for the very first time at the Batumi Opera Theatre. Its lyrics include words on the thermae of Latin poets (Cicero, Pliny the Elder, and Martial). The music for piano and soprano has been composed by Maestro Livio Bressan, musician and neurologist.
During the event the participants planted a magnolia on the Batumi Boulevard: a Femtec tradition to leave, with a tree typical of the country, a memory of the presence and a sign of collaboration and solidarity with the land that hosted the event.
Special thanks were given by all the participants to the Organizing Committee of the Congress, headed by Prof. R. Surmanidze alongside Prof. G. Gigineishvili and Prof. T. Zoidze, for the excellent organization, support, co-operation, and the interesting cultural/professional agenda integrating the Congress, which conveyed an excellent memory and impression of Georgia and Adjara to all.
The General Meeting of FEMTEC
The President reported on the last 4 years activities and read the well-wishing messages from I. Fluck (Hungary, Honorary President of FEMTEC), P. Cantista (Spain, President of ISMH), I. Ponitowska and J. Choinowsky (Poland, President of the Society of Balneology), and T. Dubois (France, President of CNETh).
The General Meeting of FEMTEC unanimously confirmed the outgoing Managing Board and Prof. Umberto Solimene as President for the 2019-2022 term, and thanked them for their efforts, summarized and updated at www.femteconline.org. Special appreciation was given to Natalia Chaurskaya and Simona Busato, from the External Relations Department of FEMTEC, for their great co-ordination effort.
The Femtec membership applications of Vietnam and Australia were welcomed wholeheartedly.
The agenda of Congresses for the next few years has been defined: they will be held in Greece, Belgium, China, Vietnam, and Australia.
The World Thermae Day and the Balneology E-Learning Course
Within the framework of the international development, the “WORLD THERMAE DAY” was launched in conclusion of the 71st FEMTEC Congress. It will be celebrated in the 28 member Countries of FEMTEC on April 21, 2019, the date of the foundation of Rome, the mother of all the thermae, and will join and integrate- for specific water-health relations – the celebrations of the World Water Day (March 21).
On occasion of the World Thermae Day, FEMTEC will launch the International E-Learning Course “An Introduction to Thermal Medicine”, available in multiple languages (Italian, English, Russian, Chinese), and an exhibition dedicated to the role of Hydrotherapy in the History of Civilizations.
