World Anaesthesia Day: Doctors call for better equipment, funding

Anaesthesiologists have called on the Federal Government to strengthen anaesthesia services, invest in essential equipment, and better support the specialists who keep patients safe before, during, and after surgery.

The experts made the call in a joint statement on Friday to mark World Anaesthesia Day 2026, observed annually on October 16, with this year’s theme, “Before, During and Beyond Surgery.”

The day commemorates the first successful public demonstration of anaesthesia in 1846, which revolutionised modern surgery by making it possible to perform operations without pain.

In the statement signed by the Head of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Nisa Garki Hospital, Dr. Julian Ojebo, the specialists stressed that safe surgery could not be achieved without safe anaesthesia and adequate perioperative care.

Ojebo said thorough preoperative assessment was essential to identifying potential risks, preparing patients for surgery and preventing avoidable complications.

“Before any surgery, we must carefully assess the patient’s medical history, co-existing illnesses and potential risks. That assessment helps us identify patients who need optimisation, choose the safest anaesthetic plan, and prevent avoidable complications,” he said.

He warned that inadequate support for pre-anaesthetic clinics and poor patient preparation could increase the risk of complications during and after surgery.

According to him, many preventable perioperative incidents in Nigeria are associated with inadequate preoperative evaluation, weak referral systems and late presentation at healthcare facilities.

The Chief Resident in Anaesthesia at the hospital, Dr. Kolawole Shorunke, emphasised the importance of continuous monitoring and the availability of functional equipment during surgical procedures.

“During surgery, the anaesthesiologist is the patient’s life support. We monitor the heart, blood pressure, oxygen levels, breathing, and level of consciousness every second; we manage pain and blood loss, and respond instantly to any emergency,” Shorunke said.

He noted that effective anaesthesia depended not only on the expertise of medical personnel but also on the availability of functioning anaesthetic machines, monitoring devices, oxygen supplies, emergency drugs and reliable electricity.

Shorunke therefore urged governments and hospital administrators to prioritise the procurement and maintenance of essential anaesthesia equipment, particularly in public hospitals.

On postoperative care, a Senior Registrar in Anaesthesia, Dr. Aisha Muazu, said the responsibilities of anaesthesiologists extended beyond the operating theatre to ensuring patients recovered safely and received adequate pain relief.

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“Our work does not end when surgery ends. Beyond surgery, we ensure patients wake up safely, control their pain, breathe well, and quickly identify and treat complications like nausea, low blood pressure, or respiratory problems,” Muazu said.

She explained that effective postoperative pain management could help patients recover faster, mobilise earlier and reduce their length of hospital stay.

Muazu called for stronger post-anaesthesia care units and acute pain management services to improve recovery and overall surgical outcomes.

Also speaking, a Senior Resident, Dr. Chidera Jane Obi-Ekekwe, said this year’s theme highlighted the continuous role anaesthesiologists play in protecting patients throughout the surgical process.

“Before surgery, we prepare and optimise; during surgery, we protect life; and beyond surgery, we ensure patients recover without pain and without complications,” she said.

Obi-Ekekwe added that improving surgical safety required healthcare systems that adequately supported anaesthesia services at every stage of patient care.

The specialists jointly called for stronger government policies and increased funding to expand access to safe surgical and anaesthesia services nationwide.

They also advocated additional training opportunities and retention incentives for anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists, improved access to essential medicines and medical consumables, and the inclusion of anaesthesia and perioperative care in national health insurance coverage.

According to the experts, such investments would help reduce preventable deaths and complications, improve access to safe surgery, retain skilled healthcare workers and strengthen Nigeria’s health system.

“No patient should die or suffer disability because safe anaesthesia was not available or affordable,” the statement said.

The specialists reaffirmed their commitment to patient safety, urging the government, hospital management and development partners to provide the equipment, workforce and systems required to deliver safe care before, during and beyond surgery.