Assoc. Prof. O. Sabeļņikovs receives medal of honour for promoting anaesthesiology and intensive care

Oļegs Sabeļņikovs is the head of the Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Department of Clinical Skills and Medical Technologies and an associate professor at the RSU Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care as well as the president of the anaesthesiology section of the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS EBA). Assoc. Prof. Sabeļņikovs was awarded the Medal of Honour of the Romanian Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care for his contribution to the development of anaesthesiology and intensive care on a European level and for his cooperation with the Romanian Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care.

The award was presented to Assoc. Prof. Sabeļņikovs at the 49th Congress of the Romanian Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care held in Sinaia from 10 to 14 May, by the President of the Romanian Society of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care Prof. Serban Bubenek. Photo from the UEMS archive

‘I did not know beforehand that I would receive this award at the congress, so I was pleasantly surprised,’ said Assoc. Prof. Sabeļņikovs. ‘As President of the Anaesthesiology Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists, I communicate a lot with colleagues from other EU Member States. My Romanian peers are always very active in the section’s projects, and over the years we have developed a close cooperation. I have also presented papers at several Romanian congresses informing my peers about the activities of the section in the context of developing the specialty.’

In May 2021, Assoc. Prof. Sabeļņikovs was elected President of the Anaesthesiology Section of the European Union of Medical Specialists for a four-year term. This puts him in charge of the further development of anaesthesiology throughout Europe and for improving of the qualifications of specialists in the field, as well as taking the specialty to a new level.

‘This position offers me a unique opportunity to contribute to the development and improvement of anaesthesiology at the European level. It also enables us to promote Latvian anaesthesiologists and our university,’

Assoc. Prof. Sabeļņikovs added.

The anaesthesiology section of the European Union of Medical Specialists is responsible for harmonising the training and professional development of anaesthesiologists in EU countries (which is closely linked to the development of residency programme requirements), improving the working conditions of anaesthesiologists, raising the quality of anaesthesiologists’ work and patient safety standards. The duties of the section president include the strategic development of the section, setting goals and objectives, coordinating the work of subcommittees, representing the section, etc.