World Anaesthesia Day: UBTH CMD Commends Anaesthesiologists’ Life-Saving Work

By De-Patriot

The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH), Prof. Idia Ize-Iyamu, has emphasized the indispensable role of anaesthesiologists in managing health emergencies. She made this remark during a courtesy visit by the UBTH Department of Anaesthesia to the hospital’s management, marking the 2025 World Anaesthesia Day (WAD) with the theme “Anaesthesiology and Health Emergencies.”

Represented by the Chairman, Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), Prof. Stanley Okugbo, the CMD commended the Department of Anaesthesia for its professionalism, commitment, and invaluable contributions to emergency response and patient care in the hospital.

She noted that the celebration of World Anaesthesia Day provides a vital platform to highlight the indispensable role of anaesthesiologists in the healthcare system, promote public awareness, and encourage collaboration across specialties.

“The Department of Anaesthesia remains one of the high-performing and most essential specialties in UBTH,” Prof. Ize-Iyamu said, stressing that anaesthesiologists’ expertise cuts across virtually all clinical departments. She further assured that the hospital management would continue to support the department in its drive to deliver quality anaesthesia and critical care services.

Earlier, Dr. Omajuwa Dawodu, who represented the department, described this year’s theme as timely and relevant, considering the increasing global health emergencies that demand swift and skilled medical response. He expressed the department’s appreciation to the CMD and her management team for their unwavering support and commitment to improving patient care and medical excellence in UBTH.

Highlights of the 2025 World Anaesthesia Day celebration at UBTH included a sensitisation programme at the UBTH Staff School, where pupils were taught basic life-saving techniques to apply during emergencies, as well as awareness campaigns and public lectures across various outpatient clinics in the hospital.

The event underscored UBTH’s continued leadership in promoting quality healthcare, emergency preparedness, and patient safety through anaesthesia education and practice.