Anaesthesiologists call for national standards to improve surgical safety

The Ghana Anaesthesiologists Society (GAS) has called for the development and strict enforcement of national standards and clinical guidelines to improve the safety and quality of surgical care across the country.

The call was made by the President of the Society, Dr Irene Wulff, as the organisation marked 30 years of anaesthesia practice in Ghana.

Speaking at the Society’s maiden Annual General and Scientific Conference in Kumasi, she said standardised clinical protocols were necessary to ensure that patients received safe and quality surgical care regardless of the hospital where they sought treatment.

The conference, which brought together medical practitioners, representatives of teaching hospitals and policymakers, was held under the theme: “Global Standards; Local Impact, Advancing Anaesthesia Practice in Ghana.”

Dr Wulff noted that the specialty had made significant progress since the 1990s, when the country had only six physician anaesthetists serving a population of about 14.7 million.

Membership of the Society has since grown to more than 200.

She recalled that anaesthesia practice was particularly challenging in the early years, with limited monitoring equipment forcing practitioners to rely on basic methods to monitor patients during surgery.

In some cases, patients had to be ventilated manually throughout surgical procedures.

She attributed the growth of the profession to the establishment of anaesthesia training at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons, as well as contributions from members of the Ghanaian medical diaspora.

The Society has also expanded practical training through programmes such as Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE), including specialised courses in paediatric and obstetric anaesthesia.

Meanwhile, the General Secretary of GAS, Moses Siaw-Frimpong, expressed concern about the limited availability of critical care services, noting that fewer than 10 hospitals in the country had such facilities due largely to inadequate specialist personnel.

He said expanding critical care services was essential to addressing healthcare challenges, including high maternal mortality.

Dr Wulff urged the government to invest in the necessary infrastructure and equipment at regional and local hospitals, assuring that the Society was ready to provide the skilled personnel needed to strengthen service delivery.

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