By Fatima Mohammed-Lawal
Anaesthetists at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) have called for sustained investment in workforce training and modern equipment to ensure safer anaesthesia practice.
The anaesthetists made the call on Friday in Ilorin during a sensitisation rally organised as part of activities to commemorate the 2026 World Anaesthesia Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the day’s theme is: “Before, During and Beyond Surgery”.
The Head of Department (HOD) of Anaesthesia, UITH, Dr Joshua Oni, said the day, marked every Oct. 16, commemorates the birth of modern anaesthesia.
He said the advent of modern anaesthesia revolutionised surgery and effectively turned it from torture to proper treatment.
Oni said the day was not only about history but also a platform to honour all practitioners who make safe anaesthesia possible.
He said this includes physician 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 said.
Oni described anaesthetists as vigilant guardian angels who ensure maximum comfort and safety for patients before, during and after surgery, including painless childbirth, resuscitation, acute pain services and ICU care.
According to him, public awareness of the speciality, often seen as a behind-the-scenes field, remains low, and many facilities face severe shortages of trained personnel and equipment.
The expert called for increased advocacy and investment to improve patient safety and surgical outcomes.
Meanwhile, a professor of anaesthesia, Benjamin Bolaji, attributed today’s surgical development to modern anaesthesia.
Bolaji, of the Department of Anaesthesia, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, explained that anaesthesia has gone beyond putting patients to sleep and waking them up.
According to him, safer drugs and modernised equipment that can detect critical 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 said.
Bolaji, however, explained that not all surgeries require general anaesthesia.
He said that with regional anaesthesia, caesarean sections and other lower limb and pelvic surgeries could be carried out painlessly, while patients remain awake.
In his remarks, the acting Chief Medical Director (CMD) of UITH, Prof. Bilyaminu Abayomi, described the hospital as one of Nigeria’s best in anaesthesia practice.
Abayomi recalled that during the hospital’s early days, it only had a team of three specialists.
However, he said the growth in number and quality of specialists has positioned it among the best.
He said before the advent of anaesthesia, surgery was a terrifying crucible of pain requiring five or six people to hold down a patient.
“Today, surgery is defined by comfort, precision and safety because of anaesthesiology,” he said.
Abayomi commended anaesthetists for their selfless service and silent heroism and assured the department of management’s continued support in terms of equipment, infrastructure and training.
He said the hospital’s management had directed that all theatre needs be documented for prompt action. (NAN)
Edited by Moses Solanke
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