Blimey, in just two short weeks, Hyderabad will be at the forefront of interventional bronchoscopy in India and I couldn't be more chuffed to be a part of it all. The third edition of the Bronchus Conference, masterminded by the brilliant interventional bronchoscopist and organizer, Dr. Hari Kishan Gonuguntla, is set to take place in Hyderabad. And it's all being held with the full backing of Yashoda Hospitals, under the watchful eye of none other than Dr Pavan Gorukanti, Director of the establishment, a board certified Pulmonary Critical Care physician with more than 10 years practice in US.

When Hari organizes a conference, he doesn't mess about. He goes big, he goes well, and he goes in style. This shindig will see more than 35 top brass international guest lecturers descending on Hyderabad from all corners of Europe, Asia, and America, with over 2000 participants from all over the Asian region in attendance. All manner of interventional pulmonology techniques will be on the menu, from diagnostic bronchoscopy to the bleeding edge of robotic bronchoscopy. On top of that, there'll be a fair bit of chat about pleural pathology and chest ultrasound. As in recent years, there'll be a particular emphasis on the technical aspects of proceedings, and the latest evidence will be presented in a clear, easy-to-digest manner by lecturers from India and beyond. Hari is one of the pioneers of cryobiopsy of the mediastinal nodes and he's presented this technique at symposiums all over the shop, including the one I'm organizing in Vama, Bucovina, Romania. So, you can bet your bottom dollar he'll be giving us the lowdown on the latest innovations in this field too.

I had the pleasure of participating in the last edition of Bronchus back in January 2020, just before the world went to pot with the pandemic, and I have to say, I was thoroughly impressed by the level of medicine being practiced in India today. The young doctors there are absolutely chomping at the bit for quality medical education, and I had the pleasure of meeting loads of them. I learned about their plans for developing interventional pulmonology services and it was fascinating to see how, even with the problems caused by the pandemic, they managed to set those services up in just 1-3 years. Medicine in India is on an upward trajectory, and the quality of both the medical institutions in terms of equipment and facilities, as well as the professionalism of the doctors, is truly remarkable. These folks can do a huge number of procedures and they're making the most of it.

Yashoda Hospitals, the host of the conference, is a top-notch private institution that has come a long way since it started as a small family business back in 1989. It's the brainchild of Dr. Ravinder Rao and his brother Dr. Surender Rao Dr G Surender Rao, and today it boasts a workforce of over 10000 employees. The facilities on offer at this hospital are absolutely state-of-the-art, and they put many of the hospitals we have in Europe to shame. The educational opportunities provided by Hari's department are second to none, both in terms of equipment and specialized staff. It's the perfect place to train doctors capable of performing all manner of interventional bronchoscopy techniques. Respiratory pathology in India is incredibly diverse, and the cases are varied and numerous, but the system at Yashoda is set up in such a way that it can help all patients in need, regardless of their income.

Hyderabad is a city of 10 million souls, and it's become famous in recent years for being home to a plethora of IT, biotech, and pharma companies that work with some of the biggest names in the world. But it's also known for its rich history, particularly in the pearl industry, which was a major player here in the 19th century, earning it the nickname 'Pearl City.' And let's not forget about the gastronomy, with UNESCO naming it a creative city of gastronomy. The famous Hyderabadi biryani is a signature dish in the local cuisine, and it's so good that the dish is practically synonymous with the city itself. Now, like everywhere else in India, the traffic in Hyderabad can be a bit of a nightmare for the European tourist. But the way the drivers navigate through the chaos is a masterclass in non-verbal communication that we could all learn a thing or two from when working in interventional bronchoscopy rooms.

Tudor Toma, FRCP, PhD, London, UK