It is my immense pleasure that SACA executive committee meeting held in 7th SACA congress 2007 on 24th February 2007 at Hotel Hyatt Regency, Kathmandu, Nepal decided to publish “SAARC Journal of Anaesthesia”. The executive have rightly decided to give the responsibility to not less than Prof. (Dr.) P.K. Kotur, Registrar KLE University, J. N. Medical College, Belgaum, Karnataka, with the immense experience in the field of publication as editor of Indian Journal of Anaesthesia. The meeting also decided that, in the first issue of the journal “The 7th SACA Congress 2007 publication of abstract and articles” be endorsed as a part of journal publication while publishing the first issue of the SACA Journal

The thought of publication was one of my own interest, along with other founder members of SACA and had decided to take journal of Anaesthesiology Clinical Pharmacology published in India as an authentic journal of SACA.

Now the time has come to see the dedication of Prof. (Dr.) P.K. Kotur with this publication in our hand. The right decision of the editor to release the first issue of SAARC journal of Anaesthesia on “World Anaesthesia Day” – 16th October 2007 has got its own significance along with the celebration of the day by releasing by all the member SAARC countries through teleconference / internet.

The spirit of SAARC have been well taken up especially in our 7th SACA Congress 2007 by having the full quorum of attendance of all the 7 countries of SAARC, namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Srilanka. We expect to have participation from Afganistan in the 8th Congress to be held at Pakistan.

As the congress president of 7th SACA Congress 2007, I take this opportunity to thank all the delegates and participants, different companies and all the well wishers for the full cooperation extended to us in making our congress a grand success.

I also like to request in the capacity of president of SACA to all the member countries to participate in the bigger way in the 8th congress to be held at Pakistan.

I invite all the regular participants of SACA congress from the International forum to participate in 8th congress.

Last but not the least I would like to request WFSA to support whole heartedly in the development of Anaesthetic activities in the SAARC region.

A proposal for rename of SACA was endorsed in the Executive Committee meeting, as a resolution was filed by some of the members and the invitees in the meeting held on 24th Feb. 2007. The above agenda was discussed and the new name was suggested as: ‘SAARC Association of Anaesthesiologists, - SAARC – AA’ as there were some administrative and technical difficulties with the original name.

Prof. (Dr.) Gautam Ratna Bajracharya
President, SACA, Kathmandu, Nepal

List of Academic programs/conferences of SAN for the year 2007-2008:

19th September 2007 to 17th October 2007
FEEA (Foundation for European Education in Anesthesiology) refresher course on “Mother and Child. Adverse reaction”
Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu

24th - 29th Feb 2008 
FEEA refresher course on “Neurology, Loco-regional Anesthesia, and pain therapy.”
Kathmandu Medical College Teaching Hospital, Kathmandu

1st Friday of every month
Monthly clinical meeting of SAN