Bukola Afeni
In commemoration of the World Anesthesia Day, the President of Nigerian Society of Anesthetists, NSA, Dr Busola Alagbe Briggs has emphasized the urgent need for advocacy to advance the well-being of Anesthetists.
She stated this at a press briefing to mark the World Anesthetists day celebration at National Hospital Abuja.
Briggs said the theme for this year: “Workforce Well-being” focuses on the well being of Anesthetists.
The President also emphasized the need for government support and engage in more advocacy for many people to be aware of Anesthesia.
The Chief Consultant Anesthetist National Hospital Abuja Dr Maryrose Osazuwa stresses the vital importance of basic life support (BLS) in rescuing individuals who suffer cardiac arrests.
“Training and awareness is essential to empower bystanders to save lives during cardiac arrest.
“Everyday people collapse and die because they have what we call cardiac arrest, and they don’t have to die. They can easily be saved. It is called basic life support.
“It involves compressing the chest so as to make the heart pump out blood and then giving breath. So basic life support is something very simple” Osazuwa said.
The Consultant Anesthetist General Secretary, Dr Saidu Yakubu underscores the vital role of collaboration, among health workers.
“To ensure anesthetists’ overall well-being, their physical, mental, and psychological health is critical. Effective collaboration is crucial within hospitals, states, nations, and internationally.
Speaking at the event, Professor Erdoo Isamede, emphasizes the significance of mentorship in workforce well-being.
According to Isamede, beyond adequate facilities, mentorship plays a vital role in fostering supportive work environment.
She said the Global Anesthesia Mentorship Program connects mentees with suitable mentors, based on characteristics and biographies.
“Workforce well being encompasses so many things. So apart from having the facilities that you will work with in your workplace, there are other components that can contribute to the well being of the workforce, and one of them is mentorship.
“There is a lot in mentoring, and it is actually for those who have who come together and want a mutual relationship of mentorship, both the mentees and the mentors have to agree.
“It is the mentors that are supposed to help the mentees to grow in their career and achieve their growth.”
Stella Uma, former Chairman of the Faculty of Anesthesia at the National Postgraduate Medical College, said it is important for anesthesia practitioners to have proper training to ensure safety during surgery.
According to her, an untrained workforce poses significant risks, leading to high post-operative mortality rates.
“Studies show that mortality rates are significantly lower when anesthesia is administered by trained professionals.”
She said Nigerian-trained anesthetists are highly sought after in the developed countries, a testament to the quality of our training programs.
“However, this has contributed to brain drain.
So a lot of emphasis should be on training, and the trainee too should show enough zeal and courage”.
