History

SACA, South Asian Confederation of Anaesthesiologists was an idea perceived in Washington, Seattle in 1988 when some anaesthesiologists from the SAARC nations attending the WFSA conference got together and realized that most patients and circumstances in South Asia are a different preposition. The problems and their solutions were basically if not entirely different from the world of the west.

Patients presenting to the anaesthesiologists have advanced disease, eclampsia in its worst form, toxic typhoid perforations, tetanus, severely compromised patients with uncontrolled comorbids and limited facilities, drugs and disposables present challenges peculiar to anaesthesiologists of South Asia.

After repeated deliberations this group of doctors (naming some: Samad Chaudhry from Bangladesh, V. Diviker from India, S. Tipu Sultan from Pakistan and Deepthi Attygalle from Srilanka) decided to make a South Asian Confederation of Anaesthesiologists, an organization which would make efforts to resolve these issues as well as hold and rotate a meeting biennially in different SAARC countries and use SACA as a platform for moving forward.

Upholding this commitment a congress is held every 2 years providing an opportunity to anasethesiologists of South Asia to have scientific deliberations as well as social and cultural exchanges. Guest speakers are invited from the rest of the world to share their views and experience as well as enrich themselves with ours.

The decision to hold the first SACA meet was decided and it was allotted to Bangladesh. The first SACA was successfully conducted at DHAKA in 1993 under the leadership of Prof. Samad Chaudhry the father figure of Bangladesh Anaesthesia Society.

The 2^nd SACA congress was conducted in a grand manner at Colombo in Sri Lanka in 1995 under the leadership of Prof. Deepti Attygalle.

Pakistan Society of Anaesthesiologists had the privilege to organize the “3rd SACA Congress” in the year 1997 with all the enthusiasm by Prof. Tipu Sultan. Large number of foreign delegates attended that congress not only from SAARC Nations but also from around the globe.

It was a usual comment from all delegates: “It was the best Congress of South Asian Confederation of Anaesthesiologists”.

The 4^th congress was held at Chennai in India and Dr K Balakrishna was the President Elect at that time.

The 5^th SACA Congress was again conducted at Dhaka Bangladesh in 2003. The President Elect that time was Prof. Khalilur Rehman.

Porf. Swinith Ranasinghe was the President Elect who organized the 6th SACA by the Sri Lankan Anaesthesia Society in the year 2005 at Colombo.

Prof. Gautam Bajrachariya was the President Elect to organize the SACA Congress at Kathmandu in Nepal in 2007 and in the business session another historic decision was taken.

SACA was a name very popular amongst the anaesthesiologists of South Asia however, obtaining visa for the participants on the pretext of this being a SAARC nation congregation was lacking. The organization was thus renamed as SAARC Association of Anaesthesiologists (SAARCAA) to facilitate visa proceedings as well as other administrative hindrances.

Pakistan Society of Anaesthesiologists proudly hosted the 8^th SAARCAA Congress in 2008. The theme of the congress was “The Expanding Domain of Anaesthesiologists” Foreign delegates from eighteen different countries around the globe participated in it. It was a great achievement and yet another milestone in the history of PSA. Dr. Akhtar Aziz Khan was the President of SAARCAA at that time.

The journey which started in 1988 by a few anaesthesiologists has entered the new millennium with greater vigour and commitment. SACA moves on to SAARCAA and we move forward.