As part of contributing towards the advancement of trauma medicine, renowned trauma surgeon Professor Jacques Goosen was awarded Netcare’s highest honour on Thursday, 6 May.
Dr Richard Friedland, chief executive officer of Netcare said over years, Prof Goosen has placed his surgical skill and tremendous insight into trauma at the service of patients, saving countless lives from often catastrophic injuries. “It is our privilege to present Prof Goosen with the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Award, as a tribute to the outstanding contribution he has made throughout his illustrious career, spanning some four decades in both the private and public sectors,” said Friedland. Founded in 2011, the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Award pays tribute to doctors who practise at healthcare facilities within the Netcare Group and who have demonstrated leadership in their specific field while contributing to the advancement of the medical profession. “I am truly honoured to accept this Christiaan Barnard Memorial Award from the people of Netcare, an organisation which lives by respect, dignity and compassion, an ethos of true caring that is intrinsic to the Group under the leadership of Dr Richard Friedland,” Prof Goosen said.
“While I accept this award on behalf of others, I dedicate it to the patients and their families who say, ‘Thank you, doctor,’ not only in the moment of recovery, but also in the moment of ultimate grief,” he added. Prof Goosen attained his MBChB through the University of Pretoria in 1971, and in 1978 specialised in general surgery as a Fellow of the College of Surgeons of South Africa. After eight years in private practice in Welkom, he was appointed head of the surgical department at the Ernest Oppenheimer Hospital. He served as a senior specialist in the Wits trauma unit of the Johannesburg General Hospital, now Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH), where he continued his academic work and helped train other surgeons, many of whom came from around the world to learn from him, in specialised trauma techniques. “Achievement is never individual, but at all times the result of contributions by others. I accept this award on behalf of my friends at Netcare, in particular at Netcare Milpark, Netcare Union and Netcare Rehabilitation hospitals and Netcare 911,” Prof Goosen said.
