Maldives' first pain specialist, Dr Assad Mohamed Shaheed, has been elected president of the SAARC Association of Anesthesiologists for a two-year term.

The Health Ministry said Assad's election presents an opportunity to strengthen regional cooperation, expand specialized training and knowledge exchange, and improve anesthesia and critical care services in the Maldives.

The ministry said his leadership would also support the development of training programmes, technical cooperation, research and capacity-building by drawing on the expertise and resources available in SAARC member states.

The association's platform will also help the Maldives identify national priorities and strengthen anesthesia and critical care services, human resource development and specialized clinical training, the ministry said.

Assad was elected at the association's congress, which was held from Saturday until yesterday. The congress is held every two years with the support of the Federation of Anesthesiologists' Associations.

Assad completed a fellowship in pain medicine through a joint scholarship offered by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiologists and the International Association for the Study of Pain for doctors from countries in the region.

He joined Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in August 2024 after completing a one-year pain medicine fellowship at Mahidol University in Bangkok.