By Founder President - Dr. Snehalata Dhayagude

I worked at Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children as an honorary anaesthesiologist from May 1974 to August 2001. Having worked in various paediatric surgical specialties for more than two decades, I conceived the idea of conducting a lecture series on various branches of paediatric anaesthesia in 1998. I involved paediatric anaesthesiologists from different medical institutions, and we conducted a lecture series every year for postgraduate students in Mumbai.

One of these esteemed speakers, Dr. Pradnya Sawant, conceived the idea of forming the Indian Association of Paediatric Anaesthesiologists in the year 2005. The purpose of the organisation was to create a common platform for paediatric anaesthesiologists nationwide, and to bring awareness to the unique characteristics of growing children and their anaesthesia requirements for various surgical procedures.

The formation of IAPA was thus announced at the clinical meeting of the Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists, Mumbai branch, on 19th June 2005. Senior paediatric anaesthesiologists from various teaching institutions expressed their support, and the founder members- Dr. Aruna Bapat, Dr. Bharati A. Kulkarni, Dr. Pradnya Sawant, Dr. Jyoti Borkar, Dr. Madhu Garasia, Dr. Swati Daftary, and myself- were confirmed. I feel honoured and privileged that all founder members unanimously suggested my name for the position of President.

The groundwork for forming the association and drafting the constitution took more than six months, and the Association was finally registered with the Indian Charity Commissioner in March 2006. With every academic activity, we enrolled new members and expanded the association nationwide.