There seems to be a greater
recognition of the need for specialization in pediatric anesthesia especially
in the developing countries where medical aid seems to have improved or is
improving. People are beginning to accept the need for protocol based safety
standards. This is the time to reach out and stress on minimal safety standards
in anesthesia care and provide this through education and interaction. This
committee could be facilitators and provide a ‘Bank’ of interactive
knowledge  – emailing is easy-
however getting this underway is difficult as we still think on the personal
level.

Teaching and education in
conjunction with the Education Committee.

1. To improve pediatric anesthesia
in Kenya and others African countries

A request from Dr Gathuya, Kenya for
starting a pediatric anesthesia training program. was forwarded to the
Education Committee. Initial problems with funding and faculty are slowly being
resolved and we hope that this initiative will be started in the near future
and sustainable in the long run.

2. The Asian initiative.

a. The Chinese University of Hong
Kong was recognized as part of the pediatric training program. The first fellow
was Dr Ira Pitraloka of Surabaya Indonesia, Funding of this program was partly
by WFSA and partly by the dept in Surabaya as cost of the training is very high

Ira has completed her training and
returned to Surabaya where h r work is much appreciated.  She recently organized the 6^th
Indonesian Society of Pediatric anesthesiologists conference in Surabaya. This
was a great success and was attended by a large number of consultants and
trainees. Continuing with this program appears difficult due to stringent
requirements now proposed by the trainers in Hong Kong – both in terms of
language, basic training and monetary requirements.

b. A similar program was started at
the KKH Womens and Childrens Hospital in Singapore. Requirement of pass in the English exam limits the training
period that may be offered to candidate

The first fellow from China Lihong
Hou – has completed training and returned to her parent university She seems to
have learned a lot and is much appreciated by her dept

Another fellow from Cambodia was
expected to join the course but could not do so due to family reasons.

This program is still open to
applicants

An initiative is being taken by the
Asian Society of Pediatric Anesthetists, the WFSA and some of the local
pediatric anesthesia associations, to run workshops on safe pediatric
anesthesia in areas of need in the Asian region. Faculty will be drawn from
this region and an attempt will be made to keep down the overhead costs to a
minimum. Identification of centers, registration of appropriate trainees – who
will be doctors or nurses or operating room technicians, the provision of
equipment,  travel and
accommodation details for faculty are being arranged. The proposal has been
passed by the ASPA and put forward to the WFSA. The Philippines society has
asked to host the first workshop in February 2011 and this is now under
consideration.

3. Europe

The Serbian group of anesthetists
have been organizing on going training programs for teaching pediatric
anesthesia. This initiative has been recognized by the WFSA and appears to be a
great success.

In collaboration with the
Publications committee

1.     The Spanish translation
of the book Understanding Pediatric Anesthesia was undertaken by the South
American anesthesiologists of CLASA. Gonzalo Barreiro co-ordinated this massive
effort with able help from Luis Moggi – pediatric anesthesia committee member
from Argentina. The translation is complete the books are ready and in
Argentina. It is proposed to distribute them during the World Congress. Funding
of this translation came from the ASA and WFSA.

2.     The Chinese translation of
the book is well underway in Xian under the guidance of Prof Lise Xiong who is
the  President of Xijing Hospital and
Professor of Anesthesiology, The Fourth Military Medical University. He has a
team of committed Translators working with him and I understand that the book
is nearing completion. This translation is partly funded by the WFSA, The Smile
Train Organisation and the Medical University in Xian. Getting permission for translation copyright from the publishers
and funding for the copyright came through the Smile Train Organisation who
have already ordered 400 copies of the book for their smile Train partner
hospitals in China

3.     The next translation is
into Bahasa Indonesia and is being undertaken by the team in Surabaya under the
leadership of Dr Elizeus Hanindito  The
translation permission and documents have just been signed with the publisher 

Our strengths are that committee
members are from all over the world and we should get support from them and
advice very easily. However Diverse practices, poor communication and limited
funding have proved to be our weaknesses. Considering that we had only $1,000/-
per year we seem to have difficulty in coming up with one project that will
benefit a large number. Subsequently the funding policy has changed and we may
now consider bringing up proposals which may require more funding. However very
few requests or suggestions have come up.

I think when the new committee is
formed, a ‘job description’ for the chair of the committee and a ‘framework’
for the working of the committee should be drawn up with methods of
communication and frequency of communication, difficulties in communicating etc
discussed so that ultimately it is not one or two people doing all the work –
or making a noise or maintaining a strong silence over a period of 4
years!

Pediatric Committee Report 2012 is a Follow
Up on Pediatric Committee report June 2011

1.    
The Asian Society of Pediatric
Anesthesia has their first meeting/workshop in the Philippines on 3^rd
and 4^th Feb 2012. At the ASPA meeting there I hope to propose joint meetings/workshops
with ASPA and WFSA in the Asian region.

2.    
The Smile Train is starting an
initiative to train doctors and nurses in post op care of children undergoing
cleft surgery. This has already started in Africa (Uganda) and will start in
India at the end of this year. Teaching material is being prepared and will be
available for tainers and participants. This may be another initiative WFSA
pediatric committee may consider being associated with

3.    
Pediatric Training Fellowships:
Dr Sajan Philip George who was trained in Melbourne has returned to Vellore and
the Fellowship program there may be restarted for Anesthesiologists from South
Asia. South East Asian candidates may go to Singapore. Nairobi in Kenya, under
Zipporah Gananthuya, should be starting soon. Other training centers continue
in Tunis, Cape Town and Santiago.

Dr Rebecca Jacob

Chair, Paediatrics Committee