2015 - FIP Dusseldorf

Despite being relaxed about the delay in departing Dubai, I was not quite so relaxed, as on approach into Brisbane, we were put into a holding pattern as Brisbane airport was also fogged-in!!!  What are the chances of that?  Anyway, we landed about 8:30am, and as we were late, there were not too many passengers from other flights in the Immigration, luggage collection, and Customs queues, so it didn’t take long and I was re-checking my suitcase for the final domestic leg.  As luck would have it, the T-Bus was waiting and it left not long after I got on.  So the whole process took no longer than 45 minutes and I was in the QANTAS Club in the domestic terminal having a reviving shower, coffee and breakfast.  Again, due to the fog, all flights had been delayed, so the flight to HVB was re-scheduled to 12:30pm from 11:05am.  So, there was no reason to panic at all!!  I kept Greg informed of all the delays just so that he did not leave home too soon and hav...

We landed at 6:30am, about 30 minutes late into Dubai as the airport was fogged-in.  We parked on the other side of the airport (so it seemed) and were bused to Terminal 3.  Being an expert in Dubai now, I made it to the Emirates lounge in record time, and registered for a shower (had to wait about 30 minutes this time!) and had a coffee and yoghurt as entrée.  After showering, I found a quiet spot, had a little more breakfast and Skyped Greg to wish him a very Happy Birthday.  I was really upset that I could not be there with him, but I could not leave Dusseldorf any sooner anyway.  He had plenty of visitors to keep him company though.  Some more work on the post congress report and it was time to make my way over to the B Gates for the flight to Brisbane.  Due to the fog, all flights both in and out had been delayed, so instead of leaving at 10:25am, we only left at midday.  I was OK with this delay as I knew I had five hours before the flight t...

For the first time in a week I was able to sleep in, but was awake just after 6:30am anyway.  I met Jane and Trudi for breakfast at 8am and we had a good old chat about nothing in particular.  After brushing teeth, etc, we met again for more coffee and planning for next year’s congress.  Trudi then left to tour the city, and Jane and I went back to our rooms.  I started packing but also did some “work” – started writing the post-congress report for the MEPS Newsletter.  We had lunch in my room and chatted some more. I had been lucky enough to be granted a late check-out, so after a final shower, I check-out about 6pm.   Jane came down to say goodbye while waiting for the taxi.   If I had known it was only going to take 15 minutes to get to the airport, I would have left later.   I had to wait around at the airport for about 30 minutes for information about which check-in counter to use.   Finally it came up on the board, and I was checked-i...

Another Mercure breakfast followed by a taxi ride to the CCD for early meetings.  Both Jane and I had meetings to attend starting at 8:30am, so it was another early start.  The MEPS Business meeting started at 10:15am, followed by lunch (same sandwiches, banana and water) then the session where I have my presentation.  The session was titled “Violence against pharmacies and my presentation was: “How far forward is too far forward?”  I used the military principles of health and logistics support as the basis of my presentation and then tried to apply them to every day pharmacy.  I’m not sure if people were just being nice, but by all accounts, the presentation was well received.  I was quite nervous as the room was huge; it could probably hold 200 people, but there were only about 50 present!!  There were two other presentations:  -         Violence towards healthcare professionals is not acceptable – existing sit...

Another early breakfast was needed as the first session of the day started at 7:15am.  It was supposed to be a breakfast session, however, as we learned last year, the breakfast is very light on.  So we filled up before we left the hotel and had more coffee when we got there.  There were two presentations in this session:  -         My experience in Haiti by Diane Lamarre (Pharmacists Without Borders, Canada); and  -         Heatlh care in danger: moving to solutions by Bruce Eshaya-Chauvin (ICRC). I was Chair of the next session, during which there were four presentations:  -    Mental health issues associated with deploying – looking after yourself by Hana Morrissey (CDU, Australia);  -     Reducing stress for deployed pharmacists – producing guidelines on managing pharmacologistics in deployed situations by Trudi Hilton (Consultant, UK);  -       ...

We needed an early breakfast, and we were ready and waiting for the dining room doors to open at 6:30am!  A quick but filling breakfast was followed by a quick change of clothes into something more respectable for the visit to the Airforce Barracks Cologne-Wahn as part of the MEPS Host Nation Visit day. There were two buses this morning.  One left from the CCD for those living closer to that than the MEPS hotel – Mercure Dusseldorf City Nord.  Our bus departed a little after 8am for Cologne, and we arrived at the Officers Mess Cologne-Wahn about 9:15am.  We had mornos and a pit stop and it was then back onto the buses.  We were split into three groups to visit three programmes each.  I was on Bus 1 with the important people – MEPS Board members, Arne, RADM Stephan Apel (representing the Surgeon General Bundeswehr).  On the bus to Cologne Officer Mess Cologne-Wahn Magda, Guido, Hana, Patrick, Maureen (hidden), Paul Sahara, Ismail, Jane, Gordon Arne, A...