The South and West Asian Chapter of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (SWAC ELSO) is established as an Affiliate Chapter of the Extracorporeal Life Support Organization (ELSO), a Non-Profit Corporation established in the State of Michigan, United States of America.

As such, SWAC ELSO shall abide to the bylaws of the Parent ELSO organization, and in particular the articles pertaining to the formation of Affiliate Chapters (Ref. Appendix A). The present bylaws are based on the latest version of the ELSO bylaws (as published on www.elso.org in April 2017).

ELSO, and therefore its Affiliate Chapter SWAC ELSO, is an international consortium of active clinical Extracorporeal Life Support (ECLS) Programs, engaged in research and education in the field of prolonged extracorporeal life support. In particular, it maintains a registry of, at least, use of Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation in active ELSO centers (the ELSO Registry).

SWAC ELSO federates the programs from the countries within the geographical area comprised of South Asia, West Asia, Africa, Central Asia and Russia (Ref. Appendix B).

Due to its international nature encompassing disparate legal systems, SWAC ELSO shall be considered as an Informal Organization, based on the internationally recognized principles and standards of conduct of a Non-Profit Organization.

In the event local legal requirements in any of the SWAC ELSO countries mandated the formation of a local legal entity, such legal entity shall abide to the present SWAC ELSO bylaws, which it will integrate in its incorporation documents.

SWAC ELSO Offices shall be deemed for practical purposes to be those of the Chairman, the Treasurer and the Secretary, as well as any other offices as the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee approves from time to time as necessary and appropriate to the activities of SWAC ELSO.

3.1  Institutional Membership

Each Extracorporeal Life Support Program within the SWAC ELSO Chapter geographical area that contributes cases to the ELSO Registry (a “Limited Data Set” from participating centers useful for quality assurance purposes) is considered to be an Active Institutional Member of the organization.

Active status of an Institutional Member is maintained for as long as the Institutional Member regularly contributes cases to the ELSO Registry and pays its dues. An Institutional Member is inactive if it has not reported any cases to the ELSO Registry for a period of twelve consecutive months, or if its dues are in arrears for more than six months.

Each SWAC ELSO Active Institutional Member may designate as many individual representatives as it wishes to participate at its own expense in the various activities of the organization.

Active Member status is required to participate in the activities of SWAC ELSO. Inactive Institutional Members and their individual representatives may not participate in the activities of the organization.

In accordance with the bylaws of the Parent ELSO organization, Institutional Membership is into SWAC ELSO, but formal registration, administration, payment of dues and ELSO Registry administration and operation shall remain with the Parent ELSO organization.

3.2  Corporate Membership

Corporate Membership may be held by corporations or organizations (such as Healthcare providers, Medical Industry companies, Hospitals or Health Institutions) who are active either in research and development of extracorporeal devices, drugs, and techniques, or who fund/purchase extracorporeal life support on behalf of the patient populations served by SWAC ELSO Member Centers.

Each SWAC ELSO Corporate Member may designate as many individual representatives as it wishes to participate at its own expense in the various activities of the organization.

Corporate Members shall not vote and may not attend SWAC ELSO Steering Committee meetings except by special invitation of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

In accordance with the bylaws of the Parent ELSO organization, Corporate Membership is into SWAC ELSO, but formal registration, administration and payment of dues shall remain with the Parent ELSO organization.

3.3  Individual Membership

Clinicians, research scientists, and members of regulatory and public health institutions are eligible and encouraged to participate as Individual Members in SWAC ELSO. Individual Members can be part of a SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center or of a Corporate Member entity, or a clinician or scientist from a non-ELSO Center.

SWAC ELSO Individual Members may participate in all the activities of the organization.

Individual Members shall not vote and may not attend SWAC ELSO Steering Committee meetings except by special invitation of the Steering Committee.

In accordance with the bylaws of the Parent ELSO organization, Individual Membership is into SWAC ELSO, but formal registration, administration and payment of dues shall remain with the Parent ELSO organization.

4.1  SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Responsibilities

The activities of SWAC ELSO will be directed by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee. The responsibilities of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee are:

• To define the details and functions of the SWAC ELSO Organization, within the framework of the Parent ELSO organization.
• To administer SWAC ELSO finances.
• To define and coordinate each SWAC ELSO Standing Committees activities, including budgetary allocation and overseeing.
• To determine the priorities of the Organization, and implement related programs.
• To communicate the activities of the Organization both inside and outside the Organization.
• To provide priorities and guidelines for the Annual Conferences.
• To solicit institutional, foundation, and industrial grants.
• To act as Nominating Committee for new SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members. Each year, prior to the annual conference, the Nominating Committee will request and nominate one or more candidates for each open position of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, and for each position subject to end of term renewal.
• To adopt the bylaws and from time to time amend them to meet the needs of SWAC ELSO.

4.2  SWAC ELSO Executive Committee

The SWAC ELSO Executive Committee of the Steering Committee shall consist of:

• The Chairman,
• The Chairman Elect,
• A fixed representative of the Parent ELSO organization.

The SWAC ELSO Executive Committee shall have overall responsibility of the SWAC ELSO activities.

4.3  Members of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee

The SWAC ELSO Steering Committee is comprised of:

• The Chairman (also member of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee),
• The Chairman Elect (also member of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee),
• The Past Chairman,
• A fixed representative of the Parent ELSO organization (also member of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee),
• The Treasurer (non-voting),
• The Secretary (non-voting),
• The Chairpersons of the SWAC ELSO Standing Committees described in Appendix C,
• Members-at-Large, whose number and origin are defined in order to ensure representation within the Steering Committee of all countries within the geographical area having an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member, as set forth below.

Each country in the region participating in SWAC ELSO activities and having at least one Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member shall have mandatory representation on the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

The number of representatives from each country shall be revised yearly to reflect the evolving number of Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Members. At the time of release of the present bylaws, the agreed numbers are five (5) representatives from India, and one (1) from each other country having at least one Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member.

The number and origin of the Members-at-Large shall be adapted yearly, as part of the Annual Election, to comply to those agreed numbers, and in consideration of the fact that the Chairman, Chairman Elect, Past Chairman, Standing Committees Chairpersons, Treasurer and Secretary are de facto representatives of their countries.

All Members of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee have voting power, to the exception of the Treasurer and the Secretary.

Members of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee may be ECLS clinicians (doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists, perfusionists) or scientists.

To be eligible for SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Membership, and to the exception of the Parent ELSO organization representative (nominated by ELSO), a person must be part of an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center.

A position on the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee may be held by only one individual.

4.4  Chairmanship requirements and term

SWAC ELSO Chairmanship shall be based on:

• a three year term, being served as one year as Chairman Elect, one year as Chairman, and one year as Past Chairman, and;
• a yearly regional rotation between South Asia and West Asia.

This term is not renewable.

Each year, a new Chairman Elect shall be elected by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, among candidates from the existing SWAC ELSO Steering Committee satisfying the regional rotation requirement (if the active Chairman Elect is from South Asia, the candidates for new Chairman Elect shall be from West Asia, and vice versa).

To be eligible to the role of Chairman Elect, and in addition to being part of an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center, a candidate shall have served for at least one year as SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Member.

The yearly transition from Chairman Elect to Chairman, and from Chairman to Past Chairman shall be automatic and not require a vote, provided the person remains part of an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center.

4.5  Treasurer and Secretary requirements and term

Both the Treasurer and Secretary of SWAC ELSO shall serve for a five years term.

This term is not renewable.

Their tenure must be confirmed by a vote of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee annually.

To be eligible to the roles of Treasurer or Secretary, a candidate shall be part of an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center, and sponsored by a director or associate director of his Center.

4.6  Standing committees chairmanship requirements and term

The Chairpersons of the SWAC ELSO Standing Committees shall serve a two years term, renewable once.

To be eligible to the role of Chairperson of a SWAC ELSO Standing Committee, a candidate shall be part of an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center, and shall have served for at least one year as SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Member or as a member of a SWAC ELSO Standing Committee.

4.7  Parent ELSO organization representative Nomination

The nomination of the representative of the Parent ELSO organization, as well as his term and eligibility, are the prerogative of the Parent ELSO organization. This position is therefore not subject to election and/or confirmation.

4.8  General term of Membership

The general term of membership (applicable to Members-at-Large) shall be three years, renewable once.

SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members shall be ineligible for reappointment to the Steering Committee for three years after completing an initial term and not having been re-elected to a second term, or having accomplished two successive terms in different positions. For clarification purposes, this provision defines a maximum of two successive terms, in the same position or in different positions.

For convenience and clarification, all terms begin at the SWAC ELSO Annual Conference Steering Committee Meeting following election and conclude at the SWAC ELSO Annual Conference Steering Committee Meeting in the year the term ends.

4.9  Vacancies

A vacancy on the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee may exist at the occurrence of the following conditions:

• The resignation, removal, or death of any Steering Committee Member;
• The natural end of the term of a Steering Committee Member;
• The lapse of the Active status of the SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center of which a Steering Committee Member is part of, or the professional move of the Steering Committee Member to any position in a different country or not part of an Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member Center;
• A new country having registered a first Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Member (including having renewed a lapsed Active membership), and therefore being entitled to a mandatory representation on the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee;
• The failure, at any annual or other meeting at which Steering Committee Members are to be elected, to elect the full number of Steering Committee Members.

For any given vacancy, the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee, by an affirmative vote of a majority of its Members, shall decide whether said vacancy is to be filled immediately through a partial election, or postponed to next election cycle prior to the next Annual Conference.

The SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, by an affirmative vote of a majority of the Members then currently in office, may remove a Steering Committee Member without cause at any regular or special meeting, provided a quorum is achieved. Removal of either the Chairman or the Chairman Elect however requires formal approval of the representative of the Parent ELSO organization.

5.1  SWAC ELSO Annual Conference

SWAC ELSO shall organize an Annual Conference, to be held during the first quarter of the calendar year. The Annual Conference shall follow the guidelines and priorities set by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

The format, program, scientific content, and syllabus of the Annual Conference shall be defined by the organizing country and/or organizing Institutional Member Center, and approved by the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

The Annual Conference shall provide at least for:

• A progress report of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee activities to the Institutional Member Centers, including the results of the election of new Members of the Steering Committee (ref. Article 2);
• Progress reports of the various SWAC ELSO Standing Committees activities to the Institutional Member Centers.

During the SWAC ELSO Annual Conference shall be held a formal physical meeting of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee (ref. Article 5.3), during which the location of the next two conferences shall be decided.

The SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Member (or one of the Members) representing the country in which the next conference is to be held shall be responsible of the organization of said conference on behalf of the Steering Committee, and shall report in this capacity to the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

5.2  SWAC ELSO Annual Elections

Elections shall be held annually prior to the Annual Conference to fill the open positions (including vacancies) within the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, and in particular the positions associated to the natural end of the term of a SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Member.

Each Active Institutional Member shall have one vote for every open position. The voting representative shall be the Institutional Member’s ECLS Program Director or his or her designee.

The vote shall be held electronically (mail or any other electronic voting system), from a slate of candidates provided by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee for each open position. The candidates receiving the more votes for each open and/or vacant position shall be elected (a qualified majority is not required). If, for any given open position, there is an even number of voters and the vote results in a tie, then the SWAC ELSO Chairman vote shall be the deciding vote.

No quorum is required for the election to any of the open position.

The election process shall be as follows:

• Communication to all Active Institutional Members of the list of open positions, and request for candidates for the different open positions.
• Confirmation or update by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee of the agreed number of representatives from each country in the region having at least one Active Institutional Member.
• Request to all Active Institutional Members for electronic vote on each open position among the previous identified candidates satisfying the eligibility criteria. The request shall be followed by a reminder to the Active Institutional Members not having voted two weeks after the initial request. Elections shall be closed one week after the reminder.
• Adjustment and reconciliation of the number of Members-at-Large as described below to achieve the agreed numbers of country representatives.

The adjustment and reconciliation of the number of Members-at-Large is achieved as follows:

• The non-at-large SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members (Chairman, Chairman Elect, Past Chairman, Standing Committees Chairpersons, Treasurer and Secretary) newly elected or having an ongoing term are deemed de facto representatives of their countries.
• In the event that, as a result of the election, the non-at-large SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members lead to some countries achieving a number of representatives exceeding the agreed number, the current SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members shall, at their discretion, either modify the agreed numbers and/or reconvene the election and/or confirmation of the non-at-large Steering Committee Members to accommodate the agreed numbers.
• Members-at-Large positions (newly elected or having an ongoing term) are then confirmed or cancelled to complete the agreed number of representatives per country.

Suitable time shall be allowed for the election process, the annual timing of which shall be adjusted according to the planned date of the SWAC ELSO Annual Conference.

To this effect, the election process shall be typically based on:

• Request for candidates for the different open positions: four months prior to the Annual Conference,
• Request for electronic vote by the Active Institutional Members: two months prior to the Annual Conference.

5.3  SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Meetings

SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Meetings shall be held at least twice annually.

One of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Meetings shall be held during the SWAC ELSO Annual Conference, in physical form, and shall constitute the SWAC ELSO Annual Meeting.

Any other SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Meetings may be held in such form (physical form, voice or video teleconference, or rotating mail resolutions) and at such time as shall be determined by the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

The Chairman or any three voting SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members may call a special meeting of the Steering Committee with two calendar weeks’ notice provided to each Member of the Steering Committee.

The SWAC ELSO Annual Meeting shall be chaired by the Chairman of the Steering Committee, or his designee. Other SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Meetings may be chaired by the Chairman or the Chairman Elect, or their designees.

All votes of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee require a simple majority, provided a quorum is achieved.

A quorum on the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee shall be constituted when all three following conditions are achieved:

• A majority of the Members of the Steering Committee (or their designees) are present (half plus one), and
• At least one among the Chairman and Chairman Elect (or their designees) is present, and
• The representative of the Parent ELSO organization in the Steering Committee (or his designee) is present.

In case of a physical meeting, quorum shall be assessed counting the Members physically present, as well as Members in video or telephone communication during all or part of the meeting with the Members physically present.

In case of a voice or video teleconference meeting, quorum shall be assessed counting the Members having participated to the teleconference in all or in part.

In case of rotating mail resolutions, quorum shall be assessed counting the number of affirmative answers received after a period defined in the circulated resolution which shall be of no less than three calendar days. Circulated resolutions may be issued by the Chairman, the Chairman Elect, or the Secretary acting in their name.

If at any time the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee consists of an even number of Members being present and a vote results in a tie, then the vote of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Chairman shall be the deciding vote.

If a quorum is not present at a meeting, the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members being present may adjourn the meeting from time to time without further notice until a quorum shall be present.

5.4  Routine Steering Committee Activity

Routine day to day decisions shall be made by the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

Such activities may be held in physical form, voice or video teleconference, or rotating mail resolutions, at the discretion of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

The quorum shall be of two Members out of the three Members of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

It shall be the prerogative of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee to determine which decisions are considered day to day and managed at Executive Committee level, and which decisions require extension to all or part of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members.

Decisions taken by the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee shall be communicated to the Secretary for recording, and to the other SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members on an ad hoc basis.

5.5  SWAC ELSO Standing Committees Activity

Under the overall direction of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, the business and activities of SWAC ELSO will be conducted by the SWAC ELSO Standing Committees.

The responsibilities of these Standing Committees shall be defined by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, as well as their annual budgetary allocation.

The Standing Committees structures used by the Parent ELSO organization or by other Affiliate Chapters need not be used by SWAC ELSO Standing Committees, and may include topic-specific subcommittees or regional subcommittees. The structure and organization of a Standing Committee shall require approval by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee (ref. Article 4.1).

The list of SWAC ELSO Standing Committees is provided in Appendix C, and may be amended from time to time by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

The Standing Committees’ Chairpersons shall be responsible for implementing the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee directions and guidelines. The Standing Committees’ Chairpersons may proceed with committee business independently of the other Standing Committees’ Chairpersons. They may circulate drafts of protocols, ELSO Registry forms for reports, newsletter, conference information, etc. as necessary and appropriate. If these activities result in an official policy recommendation then the guidelines outlined below (ref. Article 5.6) shall apply.

Participation to a SWAC ELSO Standing Committee activities shall be open to Active SWAC ELSO Institutional Members staff on a voluntary basis.

Each Standing Committee Chairperson shall report on the activities of the Committee to the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee at regular intervals, and shall report to the Institutional Members at the Annual Conference.

Standing Committee reports to the Institutional Members are intended to be a summary of work completed and an outline of work in progress.

More extensive discussion of Standing Committees activities shall take place at open Standing Committee meetings at the time of the Annual Conference.

5.6  Official publications of SWAC ELSO

All internal and external official policy statements require the approval process outlined below. For the sake of clarification, SWAC ELSO Center guidelines, referral guidelines, statements regarding the clinical specialist roles, standardized SWAC ELSO manuals and training courses, or ELSO Registry access policies, constitute official policy statements.

The sequence for distribution and review of official policy statements is as follows:

• Draft preparation in Standing Committee
• Review and comments from SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, and corresponding draft update by Standing Committee
• Upon approval by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, transmission to Parent ELSO organization for preliminary review and comments
• Upon preliminary approval by Parent ELSO organization, transmission of updated draft to all SWAC ELSO Active Institutional Member Centers (and to Individual Members and/or Corporate Members on an ad hoc basis), for review and comments within a one month period
• Final update prepared by Standing Committee considering all received comments
• Upon approval by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee, transmission to Parent ELSO organization and to all SWAC ELSO Active Institutional Member Centers for vote
• Votes shall be counted after a two weeks period, followed by a one week reminder period
• Document approval shall require a majority of positive votes among the Active Institutional Members having voted

The document can be vetoed (and therefore rejected) at any time in the process by a simple majority vote of the Parent ELSO organization Board or Steering Committee, or by decision of the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

The SWAC ELSO Treasurer will supervise the financial operations of SWAC ELSO and report to the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

An annual report shall be prepared and presented for approval at the SWAC ELSO Annual Meeting during the SWAC ELSO Annual Conference. The final approved annual financial report shall be generated within three months following the Annual Conference. It shall be submitted to the Parent ELSO organization.

The SWAC ELSO Treasurer shall have the responsibility for keeping and maintaining adequate and accurate accounts for funds received and distributed.

SWAC ELSO accounts will be held within one or several Active Institutional Member Center(s) as approved by the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee from time to time.

SWAC ELSO, as an Affiliate Chapter of the Parent ELSO organization, shall be financed through the following:

• Redistribution from the Parent ELSO organization of twenty-five percent (25%) of the dues of the Chapter’s Member Centers.
• Proceeds from locally organized SWAC ELSO activities, such as educational activities, the Annual Conference, or grant awards.
• Additional ad hoc allocations from the Parent ELSO organization as authorized by the Parent ELSO Steering Committee.

Authority to pay from the SWAC ELSO fund will be as follows:

• The Treasurer is able to sign off on amounts lower or equal to the equivalent of US $5000.
• Amounts between the equivalent of US $5000 and US $30,000 need to be ratified and countersigned by the Chairman of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.
• Amounts above the equivalent of US $30,000 need to be ratified by the SWAC ELSO Executive Committee.

If, during any given year, the SWAC ELSO annual budget or the SWAC ELSO cumulated accounts exceed US $100,000, the SWAC ELSO Treasurer shall provide for a financial audit of SWAC ELSO by a qualified third party. Below this US $100,000 threshold, such audit shall not be mandatory, and may be conducted by the Parent ELSO organization at its discretion.

The Secretary and the Treasurer shall maintain and keep the SWAC ELSO Records pertaining to their respective responsibilities in their offices, and shall ensure that electronic versions are periodically updated and made available at the Chairman’s and the Chairman Elect’s offices.

Access to the records shall be granted at any time to the Parent ELSO organization representative within the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

Both Secretary and Treasurer, as custodians of all records and documents of SWAC ELSO, shall have the duty to transmit all records (physical and electronic) pertaining to their respective responsibilities, to their respective duly elected successors.

These bylaws may be amended by the affirmative vote of the majority of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee Members then in office, according to the voting and quorum dispositions detailed in Article 5.3.

The SWAC ELSO Steering Committee shall ensure that the SWAC ELSO bylaws remain compliant with the bylaws of the Parent ELSO organization as they might be amended from time to time.

The SWAC ELSO Steering Committee shall ensure that the SWAC ELSO bylaws are reassessed from time to time to meet the evolving needs of SWAC ELSO. The time between two such reassessments shall never be more than five years.

Drafted June 2017 – Released August 2017

Reviewed by SWAC ELSO Steering Committee and by ELSO Parent organization

Appendix A – ELSO bylaws terms pertaining to Affiliate Chapters

Following text is the direct copy of ELSO Parent organization Article 10 pertaining to Affiliate Chapters, and the related requirement.

ARTICLE 10. AFFILIATE CHAPTERS

Affiliate Chapters

1. a) The Steering Committee may authorize the formation of “Affiliate Chapters” that represent ELSO centers within a geographical location.
2. b) An Affiliate Chapter shall have a Chapter Steering Committee with the same organizational structure and processes approved by the Steering Committee of ELSO.
3. c) Membership in an Affiliate Chapter is limited to institutions in the given geographic location.

Chapter Authority

1. a) The Chapter Steering Committee may conduct business related to chapter activities, including establishment of a name, charter and bylaws, policy statements, Steering Committee appointments, conferences and courses, recruiting efforts and grants, pending parent Steering Committee approval.
2. b) The administration and maintenance of membership, establishment and receipt of dues, and administration and operation of the Registry shall remain the responsibility of ELSO Steering Committee.
3. c) Each Affiliate Chapter shall establish a charter and bylaws that are consistent with the goals of ELSO and these bylaws and that are subject to the approval of ELSO Steering Committee.
4. d) An Affiliate Chapter not conforming to its established bylaws may be dissolved by ELSO.
5. e) Institutional, Corporate, and Individual Memberships shall remain in ELSO even if located within the geographic region of the dissolved Affiliate Chapter.

Chapter Finances

1. a) Each Affiliate Chapter shall establish appropriate means for maintaining and accounting for funds received and distributed. Each Affiliate Chapter shall be financed through the following:
2. Twenty-five percent (25%) of the dues of the Affiliate Chapter Institutional Members shall be distributed to the chapter.
3. Proceeds from Affiliate Chapter activities such as educational activities and grant awards shall remain with the Affiliate Chapter.

Additional ad hoc allocations from ELSO as authorized by the parent Steering Committee.

1. b) An Affiliate Chapter Treasurer shall be elected from the Affiliate Chapter Steering Committee at large membership.
2. c) Each Affiliate Chapter shall submit a budget for the subsequent calendar year to the ELSO Steering Committee Treasurer at the time of ELSO Steering Committee’s annual meeting.

Appendix B – SWAC ELSO geographical area

Sub-regions summary at date present bylaws:

Area	Countries	Active	Centers
South Asia	8	2	14
West Asia	17	6	14
Africa	53	3	9
Central & North Asia	6	2	5
Total		28	35

 

SWAC ELSO countries list with Active Institutional Member Centers at date of present bylaws:

(Country names are standard denomination and may not reflect official names)

Area	Countries	Status	Centers
South Asia	Afghanistan
South Asia	Bangladesh
South Asia	Bhutan
South Asia	India	Active	13
South Asia	Maldivians
South Asia	Nepal
South Asia	Pakistan	Active	1
South Asia	Sri Lanka
West Asia	Armenia
West Asia	Azerbaijan
West Asia	Bahrain
West Asia	Georgia
West Asia	Iran	Active	2
West Asia	Iraq
West Asia	Jordan
West Asia	Kuwait	Active	2
West Asia	Lebanon
West Asia	Oman	Active	1
West Asia	Palestine
West Asia	Qatar	Active	1
West Asia	Saudi Arabia	Active	6
West Asia	Syria
West Asia	Turkey
West Asia	United Arab Emirates	Active	2
West Asia	Yemen
Africa	Algeria
Africa	Angola
Africa	Benin
Africa	Botswana
Africa	Burkina Faso
Africa	Burundi
Africa	Cameroon
Africa	Cape Verde
Africa	Central African Republic
Africa	Chad
Africa	Comoros
Africa	Congo Brazzaville
Africa	Côte d’Ivoire
Africa	Democratic Republic of the Congo
Africa	Djibouti
Africa	Egypt	Active	1
Africa	Equatorial Guinea
Africa	Eritrea
Africa	Ethiopia
Africa	Gabon
Africa	Gambia
Africa	Ghana
Africa	Guinea
Africa	Guinea Bissau
Africa	Kenya	Active	1
Africa	Lesotho
Africa	Liberia
Africa	Libya
Africa	Madagascar
Africa	Malawi
Africa	Mali
Africa	Mauritania
Africa	Mauritius
Africa	Morocco
Africa	Mozambique
Africa	Namibia
Africa	Niger
Africa	Nigeria
Africa	Rwanda
Africa	Senegal
Africa	Seychelles
Africa	Sierra Leone
Africa	Somalia
Africa	South Africa	Active	7
Africa	South Sudan
Africa	Sudan
Africa	Swaziland
Africa	Tanzania
Africa	Togo
Africa	Tunisia
Africa	Uganda
Africa	Zambia
Africa	Zimbabwe
Central & North Asia	Kazakhstan	Active	1
Central & North Asia	Kirghizstan
Central & North Asia	Uzbekistan
Central & North Asia	Tajikistan
Central & North Asia	Turkmenistan
Central & North Asia	Russia	Active	4
Total	84	13	42

Appendix C – SWAC ELSO Standing Committees

At the date of release of the present bylaws, SWAC ELSO establishes the following four Standing Committees.

Their number and missions may be revised from time to time by decision of the SWAC ELSO Steering Committee.

Education, Simulation and Communication Standing Committee

(Short description to be updated and validated by Standing Committee Chairman)

• Expand guidelines for the use of techniques and/or technologies developed by Parent ELSO, including translation in SWAC ELSO regional languages.
• Mediate with Parent ELSO guidelines for training certification requirements and professional standards for the use of techniques and/or technologies in extracorporeal support techniques.
• Develop education and multidisciplinary standardized techniques and/or technologies in coordination with the Education Committee of Parent ELSO.
• Deploy Parent ELSO courses or education programs within SWAC ELSO, with or without tailoring to SWAC ELSO specificities.
• Publish and update in SWAC ELSO a directory of Parent ELSO Programs.
• Publish and update a SWAC ELSO newsletter.
• Publish and update the Parent ELSO bibliography for SWAC ELSO Members.
• Develop a system at the Chapter regional level to facilitate the referral of patients, including guidelines for different patient groups and a network system to assist with the location of the bed and transport

Research Standing Committee

(Short description to be updated and validated by Standing Committee Chairman)

• Assist in coordinating multi-center trials sponsored or managed by Parent ELSO.
• Coordinate requests for grants and/or projects on behalf of SWAC ELSO Member Centers participating in cooperative studies.
• Coordinate data collection and use of the ELSO Registry data in conjunction with the Devices and Technology Standing Committee on new equipment or materials in the Chapter area.
• Keep bibliography of publications based in whole or in part on data from the ELSO Registry data, with emphasis on publications from the Chapter area.
• Keep a copy of all ELSO Registry related abstracts and manuscripts submitted for publication.

Registration and Protocols Standing Committee

(Short description to be updated and validated by Standing Committee Chairman)

• To act on behalf of Parent ELSO Registration Committee in the Chapter geographical area, explaining and helping centers with the data collection.
• Generate annual registration activities in the Chapter geographical area.
• Coordinate Centers in the Chapter geographical area and intermediate in the matter of data requests to the Parent ELSO organization.

Devices and Technology Standing Committee

(Short description to be updated and validated by Standing Committee Chairman)

• Determine priorities for technology improvements.
• Serve as liaison between SWAC ELSO and the medical industry.
• Serve as liaison between SWAC ELSO and government entities.
• Ensuring the rapid distribution of information on major improvements or potential safety risks with respect to the devices (in conjunction with the Parent ELSO Communications Committee and Devices and Techniques Committee).