Assoc. Prof. Oļegs Sabeļņikovs Elected President of the Anaesthesiology Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists

EBA UEMS is responsible for coordinating the training and professional development of anaesthesiologists in EU countries (which is closely related to developing the requirements for residency programmes), improving anaesthesiologists’ working conditions and raising anaesthesiologists’ work and patient safety standards. The section’s president’s responsibilities include the strategic development of the section, setting goals and tasks, coordinating subcommittees, representing the section, etc.

‘I am very gratified to be elected president. It is a unique opportunity to participate in developing and improving the anaesthesiology specialisation on a European level. This position will also give me the opportunity to raise the profile of Latvian anaesthesiologists in Europe,’ says Sabeļņikovs, clearly proud of having received a vote confidence from his colleagues.

The Anaesthesiology Section elects a president for a four-year term, and the president takes up their duties immediately after the election. Candidates are nominated by a national delegation, and in this case the other candidate was Professor Sibylle Kietaibl from Vienna, who is the Head of the Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Medicine at Evangelical Hospital Vienna.

The position of EBA UEMS President is very a very noble one, but with it comes an obligation and responsibility to develop the field of anaesthesiology further, to qualify specialists throughout Europe, and to raise the specialty to a higher level overall.