The Society of Anaesthetists of PNG (SAPNG) recently hosted a five-day training course on SAFE Obstetrics and Paediatrics Anaesthesia, a refresher training designed for both physician and non-physician anaesthetists. With the support of the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Port Moresby General Hospital, this invaluable training was part of the Safer Anaesthesia from Education (SAFE) Courses, which was jointly developed by the Association of Anaesthetists and WFSA back in 2011. The program ran from 29th July to 2nd August and emphasized basic principles of safe care of the pregnant women and children in particular, assessment, vigilance, and competence in essential skills. According to one of the five facilitators and Pediatric Anaesthetist, Dr Keno Temo, PNG like the other Low-Middle Income Countries (LMICs) have a high Peri Operative Mortality Rate (POMR) and these group of patients (Obstetrics and paediatrics) contribute largely to this health indicator. “Providing anaesthesia and basic critical care for essential surgery in children requires a trained workforce. In PNG, there are few specialist surgeons and anaesthetists, and pediatric surgery and anaesthesia are, of necessity, the work of the general surgeon and non-physician anesthetist in the district hospital,” she stated. “Children present particular challenges to surgeons and anesthetists and, not surprisingly in many settings, peri-operative morbidity and mortality is high compared to developed world standards. Likewise, it is recognized that, worldwide, 15% of all births result in complications. Globally, the major causes of maternal death are hemorrhage, sepsis, and pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.” “Access to safe surgery and anaesthesia is an essential requirement in the management of these patients and other complications of pregnancy. However, poor practice of anaesthesia can result in death. Therefore, as anaesthetists, we would like to address these problems in our space to see how we can help make a difference.” The first three days focused on SAFE Obstetrics Anaesthesia and had twenty-four participants from the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department made up of SMO’s, registrars, midwifes, and nurses. Dr Temo said that the course addressed the major causes of maternal death, important skills in obstetric anaesthesia, and the immediate resuscitation of the newborn. The final two days of the training highlighted the SAFE Paediatric Anaesthesia course, which addressed the special needs of children who require surgery and the particular differences between paediatric and adult practice. It had the participation of 23 registrars, SMO’s, ASO, and nurses from Anaesthesia, Paediatrics, and Surgery. In conclusion of the program, participants from both trainings were awarded certificates. The SAPNG hopes the SAFE courses have successfully refreshed or taught participants the importance of mastering the basics when attending to these patient groups. They believe that in critical or emergency situations, the participants will now know how to respond in a structured, systematic way to help save lives.