The Department of Anesthesiology took its roots in J. N. Medical College, Belgaum way back in 1996, immediately after the inception of the college with only two staff members viz; Dr. P .M. Bellad MBBS. DA Assistant Professor and head of the Department, & Dr. M. S. Umadi MBBS. DA, Medical Officer in the District Hospital who later joined the department as an Honorary lecturer.

With the permission of MCL, Diploma in Anaesthesiology (DA) course was started in the year 1978. The strength of the faculty was further increased by the joining of Dr. R. Kripanidhi, Dr. B. V. Kodliwadmath, Dr. S. N. Suresh, Dr. D. S. Prakashappa in the year 1980.

Dr. P. F. Kotur, Dr. C. S. Sanikop & Dr. V. K. Dhulkhed joined the department in the year 1984-85. In the following couple of years Dr. C. H. Metgud, Dr. Sarojini J joined the department and with the inclusion of Government Medical Officers the strength of the faculty rose to around twenty.

The MD degree course in Anaesthesiology was sanctioned by the MCI in the year 1986 in the coming years Dr. M. G. Dhorigol, Dr. V. A. Gogte, Dr. Ravi Hebballi, Dr. rajesh Mane, Dr. Anand Wagarali joined the fleet of teachers.

The K.L.E.S Hospital and Medical Research Center was established in the year 1986 with a bed strength of about 300. The operation theatres of this Hospital were equipped with latest equipments which included Boyle's Mark-4 machines with Flutec Vaporisers, Manley Ventilators, Servo 7200 ventilators, Pulse oximeter, Capnographs, Cardioscopes with defibrillators, C-arm image intensifiers, fibre optic bronchoscopes etc. Well equipped recovery room and ICU were also the additions to optimise pre and post operative care of the patients. number of anaesthetics conducted in 1966 were around 2500 & by 1996 this figure went up to more than 9000 per year.

The state of art, new KLES & MRC was commissioned in the year 1996 with a capacity of 1000 beds. Nine new hi Tech air conditioned operation theatres were opened with all modern sophisticated equipments. Viz, Excel 210 Se anaesthesia systems, Respiratory Gas monitors, Haemodynamic monitors, Cardioscope with defibrillators, Neuromuscular monitors (TOF) syringe pumps, Infusion pumps, Blood Warmers, ABG analyser, fiberoptic bronchoscope, etc.

The departmental faculty got promoted as Professors, Associate & Assistant Professors in subsequent years. Today it is full pledged, frontline department with a faculty strength of more than 20 qualified, experienced and dedicated teachers.

The departments offers MCI recognized Diplo0ma(DA) and Degree (MD) courses in Anaesthesiology .  In the addition two years certificate course (Karnataka Govt. Recognised) and three years B. Sc degree course (of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences) are also available in the department.

Dr. P. F. Kotur (M. D. Anaesth) is the professor and Head of the department for the past five years who is known for his hard work and dynamism. He is the Editor of the prestigious Indian Journal of Anaesthesia an official publication of Indian society of Anesthesiologists.

The department today caters to sixteen operation theatres in both KLES hospital and district Hospital Belgaum. The department boasts of providing anaesthesia services to various surgical specialities and superspecialities right from circumcision to coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)

The teaching faculty of the department is conducting regularly seminars, Journals clubs, case discussions, mortality and morbidity meetings, lectures. The P.G. students are encouraged to attend Conferences, CME programmes etc. They are also exposed to all the subspecialities of Anaesthesia like cardiothoracic, neurosurgical, paediatric, plastic & laparoscopic surgery. It will not be an overstatement if we say that postgraduate teaching programme of our department is one of the best in India. The Anaethesia techniques which we follow and teach, include latest techniques in general anaesthesia, various regional blocks including spinal and epidural anaesthesia, other field blocks like brachial block and Para vertebral blocks and post operative pain management.

The department also organizes Acute and chronic pain management service and runs regular Anaesthesia OPD cum pain clinic in he KLES hospital. The department has a very good elepartmental library in addition to central library of the college having all modern books and indexed journals in addition to the first and unique digital library of the college. The department has an internet connection having an access to computerized bibliographic data base (Medline) and computerized library.

The department imparts Hands on training on cardiopulmonary brain resuscitation (CPBR) to all the medical, paramedical and lay public round the year.

There is a highly academic atmosphere in the department; The CMES conferences are regularly hosted by the department every year without fail. The participation of the stuff and PG students in various state, national and international conferences for delivering and international conferences for delivering guest lectures and presenting scientific papers has been a regular feature of the department Dr. P. F. Kotur presented scientific papers in the 11th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists at Sydney, Australia in 1996, 10th European congress of Anesthesiologists at Frankfurt Germany in 1998, and 12th World congress of Anaesthesiologist at Montreal Canada in 2000. Recently he was invited to deliver a guest lecture in the 2nd All African Congress of anaesthesiologists at Durban South Africa in 2001. Dr. P. F. Kotur also delivered Annual Oration at AP State Conference of ISA at Visakhapatnam in 1999.

The department has procured a computer system with a printer to enhance our working efficiency. The department organised a Karnataka State conference of ISA in 1995, which was remarkable success. The department has also been organising CMEs, workshops, Panel discussions, Exhibitions every year without fail, wherein senior teachers from all over the country are invited to deliver guest lectures & participate in the workshops.

With selection of Dr. P. F. Kotur as the President and Dr. B. V. Kodliwadmath as Secretary of ISA Karnataka State Branch, the office of the ISA was functioning from the department from 1995 to 1997. The Karnataka Anaewsthesia journal an official publication of ISA Karnataka State was newly founded and was being published from the department till 2000 with Dr. P. F. Kotur and Dr. V. K. Dhulkhed as the editors.

Dr. P. F. kotur got elected as Vice President of national body of Indian Society of Anaesthesiologists for the year 2000. In January 2001, Dr. P. F. Kotur got elected as the Editor of the Indian Journal of Anaesthesia ant the prestigious journal is being published from the department for the next 3 years, which is a matter of pride and prestige for the institution.

Dr. C. S. Sankop got elected as the president, and Dr. S. N. Suresh got elected as the executive committee member of ISA Karnataka State chapter for the year 2001-02. Now the departmental faculty dominates not only the State chapter of Indian society of Anaesthesiologists, But also the National scenario of Anaesthesiologists.