World Anaesthesia Day 2020: Know Date, History and Significance of The Day Observed to Mark Anniversary of First Public Use of Ether Anaesthesia

World Anaesthesia Day is observed every year on October 16. This year, it will be observed on Friday. World Anaesthesia Day is an annual event celebrated across the world to commemorate the first successful demonstration of diethyl ether anaesthesia in 1846. Anaesthesia plays a very important role in the field of medicine. The first successful demonstration took place in the Massachusetts General Hospital.

The discovery made it possible for patients to obtain the benefits of surgical treatment without pain. Anaesthesia is a state of controlled, temporary loss of sensation or awareness that is induced for medical purposes. During an operation, anaesthesia puts a patient into temporary unconsciousness.

The day is celebrated annually by the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA). Around 134 societies representing anaesthesiologists from over 150 countries take part in the celebrations. Special events are held to commemorate World Anaesthesia Day.

The (WFSA) promote and focus on the availability, safety and quality of anaesthesiology. Recently, the WFSA launched Global Anaesthesia Workforce Map, created by surveying anaesthesia providers around the world to highlight the anaesthesia workforce shortage crisis. A total of 70 countries had a total anaesthesia provider density of less than 5 per 100,000 population.