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August 1999
Volume 63 |
Number 8
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ASA NEWS
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| Help the Poorest
of the Poor With Anesthesia |
Michael Rosen, M.B., Treasurer
World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists
The World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA)
is launching an appeal to anesthesiologists worldwide to help
raise funds for equipment and education to provide anesthetic
facilities for the world's poorest people. If 1 percent of anesthesiologists
from the developed countries volunteer to help raise $1,000, then
WFSA would have $1 million a year to help those in greatest need.
To create a first target, we started by defining the need
in Tanzania. A survey in northern Tanzania in 1997 carried out
by Ernestine Kimaro, M.D., showed that in 31 hospitals serving
3.5 million people, only 12 could provide endotracheal anesthesia
for adults and children, 13 only for adults, and six had only
ketamine. All but one hospital had personnel trained to administer
anesthesia.
The problem is equipment and education. The basic equipment
required could be met by $63,000, including education. A further
survey in 1998 by Dr. Kimaro of 13 hospitals serving three million
people in two districts showed similar deficiencies that could
be met with $51,000.
Many colleagues could support this appeal each year with
minimal effort using contacts in the hospital, neighbors in the
community and in their churches to personally help the "Poorest
of the Poor" through contacting 40 to 60 donors or finding "10
- to find 10" to pay for, or toward, essential equipment.
WFSA has a "package" available with a copy of the letters,
pamphlet and the target hospitals with their equipment and educational
needs so that anyone interested can help serve the community in
a practical manner. All that is collected gets donated to those
who need it. We are following this appeal in Tanzania with similar
needs in other developing countries, so that this will be an ongoing
process. To contact the WFSA for more information, call or fax
(011) 44 1222 75 3893.
I have great faith in my specialty; I believed that we
in the United Kingdom could achieve our own Royal College. We
did. I believe now that WFSA can raise at least $1 million
each year to help the "Poorest of Poor" have a small fraction
of the anaesthetic care that we dispense daily and our population
enjoy. Please help us to help the poorest people.
Upcoming ASA Regional Meetings
1999
Workshop on Office-Based Anesthesia,
November 13-14, Hotel Inter-Continental, New Orleans, Louisiana
2000
Refresher Course on Anesthetic Management of the Critically
Ill Patient,
January 29-30, Westin Horton Plaza, San Diego, California
Conference on Practice Management,
February 11-13, Hyatt Regency Westshore, Tampa, Florida
Refresher Course on Pediatric and Ambulatory Anesthesia,
March 18-19, Phoenix, Arizona (tentative)
Workshop on Leadership and Wellness for Anesthesiologists,
June 10-11, Portland, Maine (tentative)
Workshop on Business Skills,
November 11-12, Charleston, South Carolina (tentative)
Contact the ASA Executive Office at (847) 825-5586
for further information about these programs, or check ASAÕs Web
site under Continuing
Education.
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