OBITUARIES

Giovanni Berlinguer Doctor, politician, and environmentalist

Giovanni Berlinguer (b 1924; q University Berlinguer’s of 1958), d 6 April 2015 political beliefs were rooted A eulogy published on Science Network in Marxist (Scienza in rete) after the death of Giovanni Berlinguer describes him as a “doctor and philosophy. He hygienist by training, politician by conviction, was elected to the and humanist by nature,” and as someone who Italian Chamber “always confronted the dramatic realities of of Deputies life: illness, death, war, unemployment, and in 1972 and 1 deprivation.” subsequently to Berlinguer chose to pursue a career in the Senate of the academic medicine, but the explanation he gave as to why he had become a politician Republic in 1983 implied that choice had had little to do with for the Italian it: politics ran in the blood, starting with his Communist Party grandfather Enrico, he said. His father Mario and cousins Luigi and The Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, initially in his native and subsequently Sergio followed in Enrico’s footsteps, while described Berlinguer as a man of shining in Rome. He wrote and co-wrote more than 50 his elder brother, Enrico junior, led the Italian integrity and character. “A highly respected books and reports, the last of which, Health Communist Party for 12 years until his death doctor, he knew how to combine civic passion, History: From Privilege to Right, was published in 1984. “Everyone was involved in politics. scientific rigour, and a profound humanity in 2011. One of his first, Medicine is Sick, What else could I have done? Stay cooped up at throughout his long career,” Mattarella wrote in published in 1959, was not only a trenchant home?” he once proclaimed. a message to Berlinguer’s family. critique of the Italian healthcare system, but Berlinguer’s political beliefs were rooted in Vicente Navarro, first president of the also foresaw what would become the guiding Marxist philosophy. He first made a name for International Association of Health Policy, principles of subsequent reform: disease himself as the president of the International which Berlinguer co-founded with him, said he prevention, the impact of environment and Union of Students from 1949 to 1953. He “combined a very strong commitment to justice work on health, and inequitable access to care. presided over more than 100 affiliated and democracy, on the one hand, with a great Among the many influential tomes reflecting organisations with more than 5 million demand for rigour on the other, a combination his areas of expertise and interests was a members—not all of them communist—against that made him extremely effective.” historical and cultural appreciation of fleas the backdrop of the cold war. He was elected to Berlinguer believed that everyone had a right (I miei pulci), in which he suggested that the Italian Chamber of Deputies in 1972 and to health, equality, and social justice, and saw these critters had decided the fate of many subsequently to the Senate of the Republic in science as a civilising force, which along with more battles than had Caesar, Hannibal, or 1983 for the , where politics should be pressed into service for the Napoleon. he drove through a string of health, social, common good. He is credited with helping to Throughout his life Berlinguer concerned and welfare reforms—including the closure forge the concept of what is now known as the himself with ethics, and used his presidency of of mental health asylums in Italy—during his social determinants of health, and from 2005 the Italian National Bioethics Committee to shift period in office, which ended in 1992. to 2008 he was a member of the World Health its focus to the ethics of daily life—diagnosis, Most notably, Berlinguer spearheaded his Organization’s dedicated commission on this treatment, and prevention. One of his most country’s first national health plan Servizio( topic. Its chair, Michael Marmot, described important and enduring ethical legacies was Sanitario Nazionale). In 1978 universal Berlinguer as a “remarkable colleague,” the report he drafted with Leo De Castro for coverage funded by taxation replaced who was “at once charming, insightful, UNESCO’s international bioethics committee. It disjointed healthcare services governed by knowledgeable, sincere, committed—all became the basis for the Universal Declaration a fragmented and inequitable insurance enlivened by an impish sense of humour.” on Bioethics and Human Rights in 2005, system. Berlinguer was a strong advocate of women’s encompassing the entire human lifespan. Berlinguer was also one of the founders of rights to abortion in Italy, a predominantly Berlinguer was honoured with the Grand Legambiente, Italy’s leading environmental Catholic country. He frequently travelled to Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian organisation. As a member of the European Latin America as part of his work with the Republic in 1999, and with the gold medal for Parliament in Strasbourg—an office he held International Association of Health Policy, at services to culture and the arts in 2001. from 2004 until 2009—he advanced important a time when many of the countries he visited Predeceased­ by his wife, Giulia, in 2014, he proposals on climate change and served on the were in the grip of military juntas fundamentally leaves three children. commission on environment and health, as opposed to the views he espoused. Caroline White, London well as the commission on culture, education, Until 1999 Berlinguer taught social [email protected] and information. medicine, and public and occupational health, Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h3980 the bmj | 19 September 2015 25 OBITUARIES

special allowances with regard Peter Reid Duncan to entry requirements—a policy Elsie Ritch (Guglick) that permitted not a few leading Former anaesthesiologist (b 1924; luminaries in the medical world q St Andrews 1946), d 17 May 2015. to pursue their vocations. A In 1951 Elsie Ritch, a qualified contented man, John was able obstetrician, emigrated to Canada from to a certain extent to diffuse that Scotland. She enlisted in the Canadian attribute to those who knew him. Army and in September 1952 was His contentment stemmed from his posted to Whitehorse. During her strong Christian faith. He leaves Bristol Royal Infirmary in 1987 and time with the army she qualified in Consultant physician (b 1919; his wife, Irene; a daughter; and two then became a clinical lecturer at anaesthesia and in 1957 received q Manchester 1943; MD, FRCP), brothers (also doctors). the University of Bristol. She was her Canadian and American Board d 23 October 2014. Keith Buchan, William Frame appointed consultant radiologist certifications. She retired 30 years later Peter Reid Duncan qualified Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4190 in 1991 and worked in that as head of anaesthesiology at the Old during the war and served in the capacity during her entire career. Grace Hospital. Predeceased by her Royal Army Medical Corps, on the Philip Carlton Heal Paula specialised in all forms of husband, Joe Guglick, she leaves four hospital ship HMHS Tairea between cardiovascular radiology and was children, seven grandchildren; five Burma and India. He received an the senior vascular interventionist great grandchildren; and her faithful MD with commendation for his in Bristol for many years. She pet, Justin. work— “Of Mice and Men”—on the introduced and developed many The Ritch Family epidemiology of viral lymphocytic new interventional and imaging Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4272 choriomeningitis on the backstreets techniques and trained many of Manchester. He helped radiologists who now practise in Vanessa Mary Wright develop Victoria Hospital into a Bristol, the south west, and beyond. comprehensive centre, but he was Paula had been looking forward to perhaps most proud of the unit for Former general practitioner Exeter a holiday in Vietnam but collapsed younger patients with disabilities (born 1932; qualified St John’s and died unexpectedly soon after that he established to provide short College Cambridge/St Thomas’ she arrived there. She leaves term relief for families. In retirement, Hospital London 1957), d 7 April three brothers, many nieces and he enjoyed golf, poetry (especially 2015. nephews, and countless friends. Wordsworth), and the Lakes. He Philip Carlton Heal did three years Peter Wilde had a long and happy marriage to of national service, running a Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4195 Kathleen. He leaves four children small hospital in Jinga, Uganda, Former consultant paediatric and 14 grandchildren. with his wife, Diana. On his return Arthur T Porter surgeon (b 1943; q University John Reid Duncan he trained as an anaesthetist at College London 1967; FRCS, Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4189 Lambeth Hospital London before Physician (b 1956; q Cambridge FRACS), d 12 June 2015. joining his parents in general 1980), d 30 June 2015. After surgical training in London and John Frame practice in Exeter. He took a lead In 2005 Arthur T Porter was Melbourne, Australia, Vanessa Mary role in the merging of several headhunted to supervise Wright was appointed consultant practices to form the St Thomas the construction of a new surgeon at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Health Centre in Exeter, where he superhospital in Montreal, where for Children in Hackney in 1977. was a partner. Until he retired in his organisational skills were fully Ten years later, she was invited 1992, he also worked part time as tested. He received many honours, back to her alma mater to be the an anaesthetist. After retiring from and the hospital opened on time first specialist paediatric surgeon at general practice he worked at the earlier this year, but he was not University College London Hospital. hospice in Exeter for several years. there to take the glory. In 2011 Her resilience was tested in the 1990s He was a passionate sailor, walker, he was accused of taking a bribe, when the east London department Senior lecturer in anatomy and painter of watercolours. He and the police (in 2013) issued was asked to move to the Royal University of St Andrews (b 1927; leaves Diana, three children, and 11 an Interpol warrant for his arrest. London Hospital, Whitechapel, q Glasgow 1949), d 5 July 2014. grandchildren. This happened just over two years before the new facilities were built. A good judge of character, John Andrew Heal ago, while he was in transit through Alongside her formidable clinical and Frame took great pleasure in being Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4191 Panama City airport. At that time administrative duties, Vanessa was warden of Andrew Melville Hall he had already been diagnosed chair of the board of examiners for of Residence, a position he held Paula Murphy with lung cancer. He spent the last the intercollegiate fellowship for three for many years. He undertook two years of his life in the La Joya very effective years. Her well earned occasional sessional work as Consultant radiologist Bristol Royal prison in the Darien Gap, but was retirement was spent in East Sussex, a general practitioner at the Infirmary (b 1953; q Dublin 1977; eventually transferred to hospital. renovating a farmhouse, developing a student health service alongside FRCR, MRCPI, FFR (RCSI)), He leaves his wife, Pamela, and four beautiful garden, and enjoying opera his friend, Inglis Lamont. As d 12 March 2015. daughters. at nearby Glyndebourne. admissions officer for the medical Paula Murphy started as a fellow Karol Sikora David Drake school he had liberty to make in cardiovascular radiology in the Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4193 Cite this as: BMJ 2015;351:h4280

26 19 September 2015 | the bmj