In order to serve its new active members in the former Eastern block, the EFSUMB saw the need to take an interest in the educational needs in these countries.
Clearly, their needs are at present slightly different from the countries which have been engaged in the advanced use of ultrasound for many years.
In order to offer a high quality course we sought help from the ultrasound industry. As usual the industry was very interested in supporting a program aimed at increasing the knowledge and use of ultrasound. We were very fortunate at an early stage in the planning to get in contact with Mr Karl Hofer of Diasonics Sonotron Advanced Medical Systems in Vienna. Besides being a major distributor of ultrasound in Europe, Mr Hofer has extensive personal experience of dealing with the former Eastern countries and willingly offered his expertise to us. Mr Hofer served as the main sponsor and donated approximately $7000 to this historic activity for EFSUMB. The EFSUMB administration is most grateful for Mr Hofer's generous support.
We also were fortunate to establish good contact with Professor Evzen Cech at the First Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics at the University Karlova in Prague. Professor Cech, the author of one of the first books about the use of ultrasound in obstetrics and gynaecology in