HERE WE ARE – A LONG AWAITED MOMENT FOR CANECSA!
On October 7th, Membership (MCA) and Fellowship (FCA) candidates sat the very first written exams of the College of Anaesthesiologists of East, Central and Southern Africa (CANECSA). The College is thrilled to mark this important occasion in its history. “This has been a long-awaited moment for the College” noted Dr Doreen Mashava, CANECSA Registrar, during her remarks before the start of the exam. A total of 35 candidates sat for the online written examination: 11 Membership and 24 Fellowship candidates. The candidates come from Kenya, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The College has been preparing for this moment since 2009, where the idea of a College of Anaesthesia arose from the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Ministers’ Conference.
“The ministers noted that the quality of training examinations across the region was variable and the numbers trained were insufficient. Thus, the College was officially formed in 2011 aiming to advance education, standards, and research in safe anaesthesia and critical care for the people of East, Central, Southern Africa and beyond” explained Dr Mpoki Ulisubisya, CANECSA President, during the wrap up session with CANECSA country representatives. A governing body was formed including the Examination and Credentials Committee who were on the frontline preparing this exam.
“As we are making this historical milestone in terms of development of the College, you as the candidates you are sitting for the first time. The Membership candidates who will be successful for this exam will sit for another exam in the near future and the Fellow candidates will be having a clinical exam next year” said Dr David Polepole, Chair of the Examination and Credentials Committee during his opening remarks.
Our sincere thanks to our colleagues in the East Central and Southern African Health Community and all of our partners, particularly the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa, the College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland, Irish Aid and the anaesthesiology societies from Kenya, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi.
