Marius Stephanus Barnard (3 November 1927 – 14 November 2014) was a South African cardiac surgeon and inventor of critical illness insurance.[2][3]
Marius Barnard | |
|---|---|
 Marius Barnard (1968) | |
| Born | Marius Stephanus Barnard 3 November 1927 |
| Died | 14 November 2014 (aged 87) Hermanus, South Africa |
| Education | University of Cape Town |
| Years active | 1950–2001 |
| Known for | Inventing critical illness insurance and political reforms |
| Spouse | Inez[1] |
| Children | 3[1] |
| Relatives | Christiaan Barnard (brother) |
| Medical career | |
| Profession | Surgeon |
| Institutions | Groote Schuur Hospital |
| Sub-specialties | Cardiothoracic surgery Heart transplantation |
Barnard was a member of the team headed by his brother Christiaan Barnard that performed the world's first human-to-human heart transplantation in 1967.[4] Specifically, he was one of the surgeons who removed the heart from donor Denise Darvall at Groote Schuur Hospital.[5][6] After a 2009 documentary film Hidden Heart suggested that Hamilton Naki removed the donor heart, Barnard was quoted as describing the film as "rubbish, a joke, it’s a total distortion of the facts"[7] and as stating that Naki was at the time "in his bed, about 8 km away from Groote Schuur".[8]
Barnard was motivated by the financial hardship he saw his patients suffer after he had treated their critical illnesses to convince the South African insurance companies to introduce a new type of insurance to cover critical illnesses. Barnard argued that, as a medical doctor, he can repair a man physically, but only insurers can repair a patient's finances.[9] On 6 August 1983 the first critical illness insurance policy was launched.[10]
Barnard was a member of the South African parliament between 1980 and 1989, for the Progressive Federal Party - one of the few political parties that opposed apartheid. He later acted as a technical consultant for Scottish Widows.[4] Barnard received many awards for his contributions to medicine and humanity, and was voted in the top 25 most influential people in the field of health insurance and protection.[11]
He died on 14 November 2014 after battling with prostate cancer.[1][12]
References
edit- ^ a b c Dolley, Caryn (15 November 2014). "Top heart surgeon Marius Barnard dies". Independent Online. Retrieved 3 December 2017.
- ^ "Heart to Heart" (PDF), CoverTen, Incisive Financial Publishing, pp. 11–12, 29, 10 October 2007, archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011
- ^ Uwechue, Raph (20 December 1991). Africa Who's who. Africa Journal Limited. ISBN 9780903274173 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b "Heart to Heart" (PDF), CoverTen, Incisive Financial Publishing, p. 29, 10 October 2007, archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011
- ^ "Hamilton Naki. Apartheid's shadow. How an inspiring life became distorted by politics", The Economist, 14 July 2005, retrieved 14 August 2010
- ^ Van Den Ende, J.; Moreira, J.; Basinga, P.; Bisoffi, Z. (13 August 2005), "Department of error", Lancet, 366 (9485): 548, doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(05)67097-3, PMID 16099289, S2CID 54344094
- ^ Berger, Sebastien (4 June 2009), "Inspiring tale dismissed as 'rubbish'", The National (Abu Dhabi), archived from the original on 27 May 2014, retrieved 14 August 2010
- ^ October, Alicestine (2 June 2009), "Dokkie 'verdraai' Barnard-verhaal", Die Burger, archived from the original on 10 July 2011, retrieved 14 August 2010
- ^ HEALTH INSURANCE (PDF), 1996, p. 78, archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2007, retrieved 16 October 2007
- ^ Defining-Moments-Memoir-Marius Barnard, p. 323
- ^ "Heart to Heart" (PDF), CoverTen, Incisive Financial Publishing, pp. 27, 29, 10 October 2007, archived from the original (PDF) on 19 July 2011
- ^ Holt, Natalie (14 November 2014). "Architect of critical illness cover passes away". Mortgage Strategy. Archived from the original on 29 November 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2014.