By Founder President - Dr. Snehalata Dhayagude

I had worked in 'Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children' as honorary anaesthesiologist from May 1974 to August 2001. Working in all surgical specialties, except cardiac for more than two decades, I conceived the idea of holding lecture series on various branches of paediatric anesthesia in 1998. I involved many paediatric anesthesiologists from different medical institutions and we conducted lecture series every year for postgraduate students in Mumbai. Dr. Pradnya Sawant was one of the Speaker. In 2005, she conceived the idea of forming the 'Indian Association of Paediatric Anaesthesiologists'. Sole purpose was to have a common platform for paediatric anaesthesiologists nationwide and bring awareness of unique characteristics of growing children and anesthetic management of various surgical procedures through academic activities at various places in India. So, it was announced in the clinical meeting of 'Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists', Mumbai branch on 19th June 2005. The senior paediatric anaesthesiologists from each teaching institution expressed their involvement and founder members were confirmed. Founder members are Dr. Aruna Bapat, Dr. Bharati A Kulkarni, Dr. Pradnya Sawant, Dr. Jyoti Borkar, Dr. Madhu Garasia, Dr. Swati Daftary and myself. I feel honored and privileged, as all founder members unanimously suggested my name for the President's position. All the groundwork for forming the association and penning down the constitution took more than 6 months and finally the Association was registered with Indian charity commissioner in March 2006.

With every academic activity, we enrolled new members into the association. We invited speakers from all over India, so to take the association nationwide.