We are delighted to announce the establishment of an anesthesia teaching program at the National Hospital. Anesthesiologists Drs. Rehana Kauser, Fatai Ilupeju, Ricardo Palop, Kristi Pielstick, Yonas Tesfaye, Aditya Dash, Stacie Deiner and Nurse Anesthetists Janet Dewan and Emily Ostiguy complete our team of highly experienced staff.

Incorporating anesthesiologists in all our missions has enabled a dimension of safety in the operating rooms and has allowed us to expand existing educational initiatives to include Nigerien anesthesiology medical Residents and Nurse Anesthetists. The response of the Nigeriens to this teaching program has been extremely rewarding!

The 2009 IOWD anesthesia teams introduced new projects as they delivered care to fistula patients along side Nigerien counterparts. Teaching student anesthetists, and consulting to optimize peri operative patient care, was a priority. In an effort to improve airway skills, students were exposed to an intubating mannequin and practised under supervision. Students are hungry for information and they enthusiastically studied from the new donated anesthesia texts and discussed didactic material.

One of the goals of the anesthesia team is to, whenever possible, maintain the same standards of patient safety in Niamey as is expected in the US. Introduction of the World Health Organization (WHO) Safe Surgery Saves Lives checklist is one part of this endeavor. WHO has recommended using a checklist that confirms certain evidence proven steps occur in every location surgery is performed worldwide. The National Hospital of Niamey surgical and anesthesia staff participated in the creation and adoption of a Liste de Control (checklist), adapted specifically for their setting. The National Hospital, supported by efforts of the IOWD team, is one of the first African institutions to participate in Safe Surgery research. Information about the program including the Nigerien designed checklist and other documents created with the help of the IOWD team are available at the the project website http://www.safesurg.org.

Supplementing surgical donations, IOWD presented Dr .Moudougou, the chief of the Department of Anesthesia at the National Hospital, with anesthesia supplies including a large contribution of donated propofol, ketorolac antibiotics, perfusion materials, airway management devices and text books for department use. As the teams work together consistently Nigerien and IOWD anesthesia personnel have developed a colleagial relationship that enriches both groups and benefits the patients.

Nurse Anesthetist Dewan with students attending her class.	IOWD Anesthesiologists Anita Patel and Stacie Deiner, waiting for patients.
Dr. Ilupeju, in red hat, working with Nigerien staff.	Dr.Kauser teaching Nigerien student.
Dr. Palop administering a spinal to patient.	Nurse Anesthetist Ostiguy tending to patient as Dr. Ilupeju,on right, stands by.
Dr. Yonas Tesfaye, Anesthetist Janet Dewan, Niger's Dr. Sani, Dr. Fatai Ilupeju and Dr. Ricardo Palop in their new anesthesia office.	Dr. Palop and Dr. Pielstick presenting medicines to the Chief of Anesthesia, Dr. Moudougou