Expanding our horizon!

Nuclear medicine practice in the world is exciting, although it's ever changing and challenging and it varies across the globe because of influence of the local milieu i.e. broadly because of availability of isotopes and regulatory procedures. Nevertheless it is predicted from market research from global industry analysts, USA in Nov 2012 that nuclear medicine would reach US $2.46 billion by the year 2018, primarily driven by the rising incidence of neurologic and cardiac diseases, continued technologic enhancements in nuclear medicine imaging equipments, growing popularity of hybrid technology like SPECT/CT, PET/CT and widening applications of nuclear medicine in a wide range of clinical procedures. There was a decrease in market demand in US and Europe after a continuous growth till 2008. However, India and other countries in Asia pacific region were relatively less affected. It seems pertinent to expand our horizon in this predicted optimal growth of nuclear medicine in our country.

Members of SNM, India have shown increasing participation in presenting their scientific data in SNMMI, USA and EANM, Europe in last few years. SNM, India also joined in trade exhibition in these global meetings for further interaction and networking with world nuclear medicine community. Our interaction has begun at leadership level for facilitation of educational content and quality practice of nuclear medicine with USA, Europe and Asia pacific region. We also had opportunity to interact with world leaders of molecular imaging and nuclear medicine in a global initiative on dose reduction in children in diagnostic procedures in nuclear medicine. These international efforts together have far reaching implication to enhance quality practice and science of nuclear medicine imaging and therapy. I was amazed to see the interest of USA, Europe and Asian nuclear medicine leadership for further dialogue in improving and harmonizing nuclear medicine procedures globally.

Looking at the home front, the society tried to implement digital technology by E-Voting system for choosing it's executive members both in SNM, India and Indian college of nuclear medicine (ICNM) this year (currently ongoing). The flagship journal of the society i.e. Indian journal of nuclear medicine is currently published on time with sincere effort and hard work of editorial members. I am sure you will take pride that we are among top seven nations in the world contributing to EANM annual meeting as per EANM highlight lecture 2013 and among top four countries practicing nuclear medicine with molecular imaging (Ga-68-DOTA-octerotide) and therapy (Lu-177-DOTATATE) for neuroendocrine tumors. I believe, we must increasingly share our knowledge and experience by presenting our scientific works in national as well as global meetings so that patients can benefit from these molecular imaging and therapy procedures to improve their health and well being. The society has outreached to members of other national societies and congresses like Associations of physicians of India (API) and Indian cancer congress 2013 through educational sessions with a hope to reach primary care physicians.

We could able to do as far as possible in last 2 years of my leadership for strengthening our society, however, much remains to be done for further growth. I owe to the members of the society for having trust on me to lead and to executive members of the society for their genuine cooperation for growth of SNM, India

I look forward to work with members of our society and colleagues around the world to make a healthy world with molecular imaging and therapy.