Airway Management Specialists Hold AGM And Scientific Conference, Advocate Safe Practices, Adaptable Protocols
Judex OKORO
The Society of Specialists in Airway Management (SSAM) has held its 3rd Annual Scientific Conference and Annual General Meeting(AGM), advocating safe practices in airway management by adhering to guidelines, developing protocols adaptable to the available resources in their institutions.
Origin of SSAM
Recall that the Society, formerly known as the Society for Airway Management (SAM), Nigeria
Chapter was established in 2018 with ten inaugural members. It is an affiliate of the Society for Airway Management, USA and was formally recognised as a chapter in 2019 at the World Airway Management Meeting (WAMM) in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The pioneer Executive Committee of SSAM was constituted in 2021 to help bring the Society's vision to life. The society has a unique membership nationwide that includes physician anaesthesiologists, critical care physicians and nurses, pulmonologists, paediatricians, otolaryngologists, nurse anaesthetists, anaesthetic technicians and other stakeholders in airway management.
Basic and advanced airway equipment have been distributed across all the geopolitical zones of the country with the establishment of over 40 airway simulation centres through the generosity of Airway Development Incorporated. It has over two hundred and eighty members.
The first Scientific Conference (2023) was held in Lagos, and the second (2024) in Abuja.
Pioneer president speaks
Speaking at the Calabar 2025 3rd SSAM Conference held between Thursday, June 26 and Saturday, June 28, 2025, the pioneer National President of SSAM, Dr. Aderonke Adesiyan, said the leadership has ensured that all the activities are aligned with the vision of the Society, resulting in the improvement of the practice of airway management in Nigeria.
She said the theme of this conference, “Patient Safety, Research and Quality Improvement in Airway Management," reflects the direction of the society, adding that they will continue to forge ahead, consolidating on their achievements over the last four years.
"We will continue to encourage our members to be more involved in ensuring safe practices in airway management by adhering to guidelines, developing protocols adaptable to the available resources in their institutions and ensuring that the management of their institution is motivated to support activities designed to improve airway management.
"There is still a significant disparity between LMICs (Low and Middle Income Countries) and developed countries in terms of the availability of basic and advanced airway equipment and research.
"Consequently, we will continue to partner with sponsors and healthcare financiers to make airway equipment available in all healthcare institutions in Nigeria. There will be a greater focus on research and development of protocols, while also not neglecting education.
"The basic and advanced life support courses have been included in the pre-conference
workshops this year. The airway management workshop has been designed for all healthcare professionals involved in airway management and the speakers have been carefully selected for a rich conference experience."
"I appreciate our speakers, pre-conference facilitators, sponsors, and our esteemed
members for all their contributions towards the success of the conference. I
congratulate the Local Organizing Committee(LOC) under the leadership of Dr. Queeneth Kalu, and commend them for their sacrifices and commitment."
LOC chairman welcomes participants
In her welcome address, the Chairman of the LOC, Dr. Queeneth Kalu, said the 3rd Annual Scientific Conference was unique because it was the first time the Society held an election with a change of 'baton' from the pioneer executives.
She disclosed that the LOC received abstracts not just from medical doctors but also from nurses and pharmacists, showing the true multidisciplinary nature of SSAM, which makes it a unique event.
"It draws both speakers and participants from around the globe and presents 3 impactful pre-conference workshops including the Airway workshop with 50 participants sponsored by the Senator representing Southern Senatorial District in Cross River State, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong; the Basic Life Support (BLS) workshop with 80 participants sponsored by the Cross-River State Government courtesy of the Director General, Primary Healthcare Development Agency (PHCDA), Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu and the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) where all the participants are self sponsored despite the high cost," she explained.
Dr. Kalu listed other sub-themes of the conference to include Airway in Pre-hospital Care, Emergency and Trauma, Airway in Intensive Care Unit and Adaptation of Airway Guidelines in Low and Middle Income Countries.
She expressed optimism that the participants had acquired life saving skills that will
contribute to improvement in the survival of victims faced with life threatening conditions in pre-hospital and hospital settings.
Dignataries present
Speakers at the conference include: Dr. Amid Shah, key note speaker, Dr. John Esin, Prof Elizabeth Onuwa Ogboli-Nwasor, Prof. Babatunde Babasola Osinaike, Dr. Bassey Ndoma-Egba, and Dr. Apeksh Patwa.
DG CRSPHCDA Dr Vivien Mesembe Otu presenting SSAM Award of Excellence to the Pioneer President Dr Aderonke Adesiyan during the opening ceremony
Other dignataries at the event include Cross River State commissioner for Health, Dr. Egbe Ayuk, the Chief Medical Director, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Prof. Ikpeme A. Ikpeme, DG Cross River State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Vivien Mesembe Otu. Other participants at the conference include doctors, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and anaesthetic technicians and a hundred and twenty students who were granted gratis registration.
The students were drawn from the College of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Nursing Science as well as Physiotherapy and Physiology Departments.
