Associate Professor Wayne Morriss, right, with Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, World Health Assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, May 2023.
University of Otago, Christchurch, Associate Professor Wayne Morriss has been awarded two major Trans-Tasman awards for anaesthetic medicine – recognising his years of dedicated service advancing anaesthetic care both here and in developing countries.
Wayne, from the Christchurch campus’ Department of Surgery and Critical Care, received the New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists (NZSA) President’s Award 2024 in December. He will also be presented with the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) highest honour – the Robert Orton Medal – in Australia next month.
He is the Immediate Past President of the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) - the first New Zealander to ever hold that position. He also has extensive teaching experience on the Christchurch campus, is a practising Christchurch anaesthetist, and has subspeciality in pain management, resuscitation and neuroanaesthesia.
Wayne’s citation for the NZSA President’s Award noted his considerable efforts towards advancing anaesthetic care in developing countries, including in the Pacific and further afield.
It also recognised his long-term involvement with the NZSA’s Global Health Committee and his pivotal WFSA role elevating anaesthetic standards globally, raising the profile of the New Zealand anaesthesia community on the world stage.
Associate Professor Wayne Morriss, right, with Dr Nyandwi Jean Damascène, WFSA Fellow from Rwanda, Coimbatore, India, February 2015.
His second award, the prestigious Robert Orton Medal, recognising his distinguished service to anaesthesia, perioperative medicine and pain medicine, will be presented to him at the upcoming ANZCA Annual Scientific Meeting in Cairns.
The award citation defines “distinguished service” as service so notable or extraordinary that it sets the recipient apart from their colleagues and recognises their service above and beyond the clinical setting.
Wayne says he is doubly honoured to receive these awards – both nominated by his peers.
“I am delighted to be recognised by my colleagues in this way and am grateful for the support of many people at UOC and Christchurch Hospital,” Wayne says.
“New Zealand has a great track record of working collaboratively with colleagues in the Pacific and further afield and it’s been very satisfying to be part of this effort.”
Wayne says his work in global health - including the development and roll-out of international education programmes and undertaking a comprehensive survey of the global anaesthesia workforce - highlighted major disparities between different parts of the world.
“Even though things aren't perfect here in New Zealand, we have an enviable health system compared to many countries,” Wayne says.
“Things that we take for granted, such as access to safe surgical care and anaesthesia, are often unavailable in countries due to limited resources. For example, the 2015 Lancet Commission on Global Surgery found that five of the world’s seven billion people had no access to timely, safe surgical care and anaesthesia.”
Wayne was a medical student in Christchurch in the 1980s and graduated in 1988. He undertook his anaesthetic training in both Christchurch and Melbourne, then moved with his family to Fiji to work as a Senior Lecturer in Anaesthesia and Physiology at the Fiji School of Medicine.
They returned to Christchurch in 2002 and Wayne has since combined clinical practice with teaching and research. He was an examiner at the University of Papua New Guinea and played a key role in the development and rollout of educational courses such as Primary Trauma Care (OTC) and Essential Pain Management (EPM).
He says his recent position as President of WFSA (2022-2024) was incredibly busy but extremely rewarding.
The Federation represents about 500,000 specialist anaesthetists from 150 countries worldwide and has a vital role in workforce development through a range of advocacy and educational projects.
WFSA has an official liaison role with the WHO, and this enabled him to speak at top level meetings such as the World Health Assembly on issues concerning workforce resourcing and health disparities.
UOC’s Head of the Department of Surgery and Critical Care, Professor Tim Eglinton, says Wayne is rightfully deserving of both awards.
"Wayne is not only an outstanding clinician and global leader in anaesthesia, but also a generous, humble, and principled person. These awards are so well deserved and we’re very proud to have Wayne as a member of our department here at UOC,” Tim says.
Korero by Lorelei Mason