Gastroenterological Society of Singapore

The Gastroenterological Society of Singapore was formed in the mid-1980s with the objectives to:

1. To advance the knowledge and practices of gastroenterology in Singapore;
2. To promote research in gastroenterology in Singapore hospitals;
3. To promote regional and international cooperation in gastroenterology; and
4. To organize meetings, seminars, conventions and publish materials to educate doctors, nurses and the public in the field of gastroenterology.

Since its inception, GESS has been organising its Annual Scientific Meeting and National Live Endoscopy Workshop.  In 2006, the society combined the 2 meetings and renamed it to GIHep Singapore.  GIHep Singapore has since been very successful, with more than 1400 participants attended GIHep Singapore 2019. Over the years, the programme has also expanded to include Pre-conference Symposium such as IBD-COE, Masterclass in Endoscopy, Functional Motility, Liver, and Luminal GI.  In recent years, the Gastroenterology Nursing Programme was introduced to include topics on Endoscopy, Liver, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Nutrition.

GESS also has been active in collaborating with international and regional societies in advancing the knowledge and practices of Gastroenterology.  In 1995, GESS collaborated with American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) to hold its first Asian AGA meeting in Singapore. Since then, GESS has continued to host other successful regional meetings in Gastroenterology and Hepatology, such as the Asian Pacific Digestive Week (APDW) in 2003 and 2011, and the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) Liver Week in 2013.  In 2018, GESS organised the Program for Endoscopic Teachers (WEO-PET) in collaboration with the World Endoscopy Organization.

Apart from organizing highly successful meetings, GESS is also active in providing trainings to GI trainees, holding its Postgraduate Course and Basic Endoscopy Workshop annually.  These programmes were also extended to the regional trainees, providing them with travel grant.