OTHER INFORMATION
The department of Anaesthesia was founded by Dr.G. S. Ambardekar. The next Head of the department Dr. V. M. Divekar (1971-1973) was president of Indian Society of Anesthetists and is a well known national faculty. Dr. S.S. Mehta (1973-1982) developed the department. Dr. Shanti H. Pantvaidya was the longest serving Head of the department (19$2-200t).During her tenure she got the department recognised by MCI and set up Cardiac Aanesthesia, Labour analgesia and EMS facilities. She is a well-known faculty in the country. Dr. K. S. Jagger (2001) developed neuroanaesthesia in the hospital and at present is president of Indian Society of Neiiroanesthesiology and Critical Care. Dr. S. R. Jagtap (2001-2003) established Obstetric anaesthesia and analgesia.
At present the department caters to 42 operation Theatres & procedure rooms and eight Intensive care areas. About 40,000 surgeries are done every year in different specialties and superspecialties like CATS, Neurosurgery, Paediatric Surgery, Plastic Surgery and Urosurgery. Surgeries like Beating Heart surgeries, complex congenital heart surgeries, kidney transplantations, Spinal surgeries, stereotactic surgeries, laser surgeries as well as cases of difficult airway management are carried out. Round the clock services are provided to specialty IC'lIs. Pre-operative evaluation clinic is run in the morning hours everyday.
Many clinical research projects are undertaken by members of the department like labour analgesia, regional blocks paediatric regional analgesia, post operative pain relief, blood conservation in open heart surgery, volume therapy in trauma, etc. Many of these researches were honored at the state and national levels.
Special Activities:
A. Trauma Care services: A 14 bedded multidisciplinary Trauma and accident ICU ward is well-equipped with various ventilators and monitors. Anaesthesiologists are providing 24 hours services for resuscitation, vcntilatory support and critical care. Brain dead patients are maintained for cadaveric organ transplant. In addition anaesthesia services are provided for trauma surgery in an exclusive trauma O.T. A . well equipped Trauma Van (ambulance) with anaesthesiologist is always available to provide on-site resuscitation and if needed surgery-and anaesthesia any where in the city of Mumbai.
These trauma services are supervised by senior faculty member (professor or associate professor).
B. Emergency Medical Services : The Head of the department of anaesthesia is looking after EMS as co-ordinator. This area is state of the art new facility equipped with all resuscitative facilities, observation ward and operation theatres. Here the patients are received, resuscitated, medically as well as surgically treated and then transferred to another ward or ICU. Twenty four hours anaesthesia services are provided in EMS. This area plays the main role in disaster management of mass casualties.
C. CPCR Workshops: The department of Anaesthesia regularly conducts certificate courses for Cardio- Pulmonary-Cerebral Resuscitation since 1996 for Anaesthesiologists, Surgeons, Dentists, postgraduate students, Interns, Physiotherapists, technicians and non-medical personnels. Actual Hands-on training is provided for airway management, mouth to mouth breathing, tracheal intubation, carotid palpation, cardiac massage, arrythmia simulations and defibrillation on various computerised manikins. More than 2000 delegates have attended the workshops to their fullest satisfaction. They are tested for their CPR skills by computer testing and MCQs.
D. Anaesthesia Times: A unique wall-paper journal "Anaesthesia Times" was started in May 2000, which includes Editorial of Journals, interesting case reports, historical aspects of anaesthesia, sounding board for questions and answers and humour.
E. The department of Anaesthesia takes pride in having a well compiled, unique museum on history of anaesthesia.