ISA India - History

The Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists (ISA) was founded on December 30, 1947, in Mumbai, with the idea originating during the Ether Day centenary celebration on October 16, 1946. Dr. B.N. Sircar, Dr. G.S. Ambardekar, and 12 other visionary leaders served as the founder members, with the first office bearers (1949–51) being Dr. M.N. Desai as President, Dr. B.N. Sircar as Honorary Secretary, and Dr. G.S. Talwalkar as Honorary Treasurer. The First Annual Conference of ISA was held on December 23–24, 1949, at Seth G.S. Medical College, Mumbai, and in 1956, ISA joined the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) as a founder member. The Indian Journal of Anaesthesia (IJA), the official scientific journal, was first published in July 1953 with Dr. M.C. Ganguly as its first Editor.In 1965, ISA hosted its First Independent Annual National Conference in Hyderabad, and in 1978, it hosted the 5th Asian-Australasian Regional Congress in New Delhi. The Society celebrated its Silver Jubilee in 1972 and Golden Jubilee in 1997. In 2000, ISA was renamed from "Indian Society of Anaesthetists" to "Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists" to limit membership to qualified anaesthesiologists and align with WFSA representation. ISA began developing clinical practice guidelines in 2000, including Minimum Monitoring Standards, and the Indian College of Anaesthesiologists (ICA) was registered on November 21, 2008, as the academic wing.In 2010, the Indian Journal of Anaesthesia entered PubMed and launched its online version, and ISA organized Goldcon 2002, the 50th Annual National Conference, in Coimbatore. The Family Benevolent Fund (FBF) was established nationally in 2001 to support families of deceased members, and the ISA Private Practitioner Forum (PPF) was formed in 2017 for private practitioners. ISA celebrated its Platinum Jubilee (75 years) in 2022, and the College of ISA (CISA) was established in 2024 as the formal academic wing. Today, ISA is the world's second-largest professional anaesthesiologist body, recognized by the Government of India, MCI, NBE, and state governments, and remains committed to advancing education, research, and patient safety in anaesthesia and critical care.