CHESA GRAND ROUNDS: Local & Global Anesthesia Capacity Strengthening
This post was written by Nabia Kheshtchin-Kamel, MS
You can watch this grand rounds and previous grand rounds on the CHESA Youtube Channel
On October 16th, 2021 anesthesiologists, surgeons, and health care workers around the globe celebrated the 175th anniversary of the first World Anesthesia Day, which marked the first successful demonstration of diethyl ether anesthesia on October 16th, 1846 in Boston, Massachusetts. Anesthesia health care providers and workers everywhere play a critical role in patients’ well being, and it is without a doubt that they deserve to be recognized and celebrated for their dedication.
In celebration, CHESA was honored to collaborate with leaders from The World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists (WFSA) for this grand rounds presentation. WFSA has a vision of universal access to safe anesthesia and a mission to unite anesthesiologists around the world to improve patient care and access to safe anesthesia and perioperative medicine, spanning over 150 countries and 137 societies.
Dr. Adrian Gelb, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anesthesia & Perioperative Care at UCSF, and current President of WFSA, spoke in detail about WFSA’s work to combat the workforce crisis. WFSA believes that a successful anesthesia-surgery system must be coordinated and integrated. However, this is not possible without a prepared and educated workforce. He also noted that at times, anesthesiologists may feel like their voices are unheard in surgical spaces, and this is a culture they feel needs to change.
As a critical step, the WFSA lobbied for anesthesiologists and other health care workers to be recognized by the UN Human Rights Council during the World Health Organization’s General Assembly as an integral part of global action on patient safety. One of their fundamental principles is that national standards should be crafted by each nation individually. It is clear that this principle is at the heart of all of the WFSA’s global work when Dr. Carolina Haylock-Loor and Dr. Karima Khalid reflected on their leadership roles in Latin America and East Africa, respectively.
The WFSA also shines in East Africa as discussed by Dr. Karima Khalid, a lecturer at MUHAS, consultant anesthesiologist at MOI, WFSA Program Lead in Tanzania, WFSA regional anesthesia fellow. Dr. Khalid is involved in several capacity-building programs both in anesthesia and critical care, and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in essential emergency and critical care in Tanzania. Her work with Strengthening Anesthesia Provision in Tanzania (SATA) trains physician providers, anesthesiologists, and non-physician providers with a selection of obstetric and pediatric SAFE courses and with access to mentors. One way SATA and WFSA stand out is in the way they center physicians’ needs in training. They take into account the physicians’ preference for longer and repeated training in the actual work spaces. SATA prioritized crafting — and re-crafting — the courses to fit the providers’ diverse needs and skill sets.
A course that exemplifies this is their Vital Anesthesia Simulation Training (VAST) course. The health care workers appreciated the simulation as a learning tool. They felt the structure of the course allowed them hands-on guidance, provided them with a space to ask questions, and cultivated an environment where teamwork is practiced and mastered.
Dr. Gelb, Dr. Haylock-Loor, and Dr. Khalid convey the importance of centering communities and teamwork no matter one’s location and the challenges faced. Anesthesiologists everywhere are dedicated to putting their patients’ needs first and the WFSA is working to equip these anesthesiologists with the education and training that they need to be successful. This grand rounds provided a holistic and well-rounded discussion on the global, regional, and local needs for strengthening anesthesia capacity. The CHESA community is grateful to hear from such passionate and knowledgeable speakers that are leading educational practices around the globe.
You can watch this grand rounds and previous grand rounds on the CHESA Youtube Channel. We encourage you to join the conversation and connect with us on Twitter @UCSF_CHESA.
