By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
Anaesthetists on the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) have referred to as for sustained funding in workforce coaching and fashionable tools to make sure safer anaesthesia observe.
The anaesthetists made the decision on Friday in Ilorin throughout a sensitisation rally organised as a part of actions to commemorate the 2026 World Anaesthesia Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reviews that the day’s theme is: “Before, During and Beyond Surgery”.
The Head of Department (HOD) of Anaesthesia, UITH, Dr Joshua Oni, stated the day, marked each Oct. 16, commemorates the start of contemporary anaesthesia.
He stated the appearance of contemporary anaesthesia revolutionised surgical procedure and successfully turned it from torture to correct therapy.
Oni stated the day was not solely about historical past but additionally a platform to honour all practitioners who make protected anaesthesia attainable.
He stated this consists of doctor anaesthetists, nurse anaesthetists, anaesthetic technicians, and Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses.
“This year’s theme highlights the continuum of care provided by anaesthetists from pre-operative assessment to intra-operative care and post-operative pain management and intensive care,” he stated.
Oni described anaesthetists as vigilant guardian angels who guarantee most consolation and security for sufferers earlier than, throughout and after surgical procedure, together with painless childbirth, resuscitation, acute ache companies and ICU care.
According to him, public consciousness of the speciality, typically seen as a behind-the-scenes subject, stays low, and plenty of amenities face extreme shortages of skilled personnel and tools.
The professional referred to as for elevated advocacy and funding to enhance affected person security and surgical outcomes.
Meanwhile, a professor of anaesthesia, Benjamin Bolaji, attributed at the moment’s surgical growth to fashionable anaesthesia.
Bolaji, of the Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, defined that anaesthesia has gone past placing sufferers to sleep and waking them up.
According to him, safer medicine and modernised tools that may detect essential incidents have made the speciality safer.
“Anaesthetists provide pain services for cancer pain, low back pain and arthritis, manage critically ill patients in the ICU, and are involved in resuscitation of patients with sudden cardiac arrest,” he stated.
Bolaji, nonetheless, defined that not all surgical procedures require common anaesthesia.
He stated that with regional anaesthesia, caesarean sections and different decrease limb and pelvic surgical procedures may very well be carried out painlessly, whereas sufferers stay awake.
In his remarks, the performing Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UITH, Prof. Bilyaminu Abayomi, described the hospital as one in every of Nigeria’s greatest in anaesthesia observe.
Abayomi recalled that throughout the hospital’s early days, it solely had a crew of three specialists.
However, he stated the expansion in quantity and high quality of specialists has positioned it among the many greatest.
He stated earlier than the appearance of anaesthesia, surgical procedure was a terrifying crucible of ache requiring 5 or 6 individuals to carry down a affected person.
“Today, surgery is defined by comfort, precision and safety because of anaesthesiology,” he stated.
Abayomi counseled anaesthetists for his or her selfless service and silent heroism and guaranteed the division of administration’s continued help by way of tools, infrastructure and coaching.
He stated the hospital’s administration had directed that each one theatre wants be documented for immediate motion. (NAN)
Edited by Moses Solanke
