I am honored and privileged to have been elected as your President. I cannot be but very proud of what this thriving society has achieved in such a short time. We have had many excellent scientific meetings around the globe covering a wide range of topics. Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World University was established and already held a very successful first webinar. The World Database is growing. The Global Council on Education for Congenital Heart Surgery has conducted multiple town hall meetings and is preparing a very important manuscript. The World Journal, the only journal dedicated to Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery, under the leadership of Marshall Jacobs, has taken significant strides establishing itself as one of the leading journals in our specialty. With the World Society’s help and guidance, the African Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery was recently established.
This would not have been possible without the tremendous efforts and dedication of our 1st President and now Executive Director, Christo Tchervenkov, working together with our past presidents, the Executive Committee and the Governing Council making the World Society one of a kind. I express my sincere thanks to all of you, to Christo, to our other ex-presidents, Giovanni Stellin, Hiromi Kurosawa, Richard Jonas and Marcelo Jatene and promise to carry on their legacy. Special thanks to Marshall Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief and to Adam Becker, our Manager.
I am grateful for the tremendous opportunity and for your support. I look forward to serving with enthusiasm to ensure a great future and continued success of our society and for our patients! Sincerely,
Zohair Y. Al Halees, MD, MSC, FACC, FRCSC, FACS
President, World Society for Pediatric and Congenital Heart Surgery
Chairman, Governing Council & Executive Committee
Advisor of Cardiovascular Services to the CEO
Distinguished Senior Cardiac Surgeon / Consultant, Heart Centre
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
