The Third Prize for the Best Scientific Exhibit at the annual American Society of Anesthesia Conference 2018 in San Francisco, US went to a team from Pakistan for their innovative mHealth (mobile health) initiative to meet Lancet Commission on Global Surgery Goals for 2030.
Anesthesia log, an android app available at Google Play store, was developed by Dr Saeedah Asaf, an associate professor of paediatric anaesthesia at the Children’s Hospital in Lahore, in collaboration with the Pakistan Children Heart Foundation (PCHF) to collect anaesthesia and surgery data in a resource-poor setting.
Data of over 20,000 surgeries has been captured since its deployment at the Children’s Hospital in January 2017.
Almost one-quarter of the surgical patients were infants and neonates (an infant less than four weeks old), and the new Post Anesthesia care area, which opened in June 2017, was organised accordingly based on this information.
Dr Saeedah said: “Very little data on preparedness for surgical care, delivery of surgical care and impact of surgical care in Pakistan is available. This low-cost, low-tech solution using mobile phones is very practical in Pakistan.” 
She commended her team of almost forty doctors and nurses who enter data for each surgery.
“It hardly takes 60 seconds, but during a busy day, it does take commitment. I am very grateful to my team at Children’s and the PCHF for making this a success. We want to know what we are doing.”
PCHF chief executive Farhan Ahmad said: “We are much honoured to represent Pakistan at San Francisco convention and winning third position, facing competition from all over the world. It is matter of pride for us to share the work by our dynamic team in Pakistan. We now intend to make this app available for other specialties, including surgery and perfusion.”
Data analysis tool Orbis by the University of Washington, US secured first place, and Point of Care Ultrasound teaching technologies by Loma Linda University, US secured second place.



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