Dear friends and colleagues,

It gives me immense pleasure to address all of you through this forum of the AOI Southzone website.

Having been associated with the activities of AOI Southzone since 1979 when I attended my first Southzone Conference at Bangalore and later at Manipal in 1986 where I was incharge of the scientific programmme.,I have been watching it’s progress. The forum gives us an opportunity for southern Otolaryngologists to meet at one place and exchange ideas. I was very closely associated with the Southzone Conference at Vijayawada in 1994(I haven’t moved to Vijayawada) and Visakhapatnam in 2004 where I was the chairman of the Scientific Committee.

During these confereces we have realized the need of a Governingbody to streamline the Conferences and at the same time the happenings at the AOI Nationalbody regarding the functioning of the AOI made us to resolve to strengthen the Southzone so that we, united, can make our voices heard at the right forum. I was one of the attendees at the Pondicherry conclave in 2005 representing AOI AP Branch along with Dr.Dwarakanatha Reddy as special invitees and Dr.Ramakrishnaiah as the Honorary Secreatry. One thing led to another and we have some firm decisions made at Pondicherry which were later ratified at the Generalbody meeting in Pondicherry. Having taken this as the first Southzone Conference later Conferences at Belgaum(2006) and Kovalam (2007) had become 2nd and 3rd respectively.

Now we have 4 orations one from each state and a few Goldmedals donated by some of our colleagues. It was decided to accept as many goldmedals for the Junior consultants, Senior consultants and postgraduates and we request the Otolaryngologists of South to donate liberally and sponsor the goldmedals so as to improve the academic atmosphere of Southern Otolaryngologists.

I also take this opportunity to invite all of you to Hyderabad for the 4th AOI Southcon along with 27th Annual Conference of AOI AP Branch to be held at Hotel Fortune at Hyderabad from 17th to 19th October 2008. Our dynamic Honorary Secretary Dr.Ramakrishnaiah, as the organizing Secretary and Prof.Ranganatha Reddy as the Organizing Chairman are burning midnight oil to make this Conference a memorable one. Ever resourceful and always active Dr.Dwarakanatha Reddy and myself have taken the responsibility as the coordinators. We look forward to meet as many southern Otolaryngologists at Hyderabad and we have an appointment with Hyderabad on 17th,18th and 19th October 2008. We have a very eminent international and national faculty lined up for you for an academic feast along with typical Hyderabadi hospitality.

Let us all join our hands to strengthen the AOI Southzone.