Pulmonologist, Dr Luke Krige, this week received the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Award with Gold Medal in recognition of his contribution to the medical profession.
The regional director of Netcare’s coastal region, Craig Murphy, says that Dr Krige is deeply respected and has made his mark both in academia and in his dedication to caring for his patients. “He truly lives his vocation, daily demonstrating an indefatigable work ethic and genuine care and concern for his patients and their families.”
Founded in 2011, the Christiaan Barnard Memorial Award, an initiative of Netcare in association with the Christiaan Barnard Foundation, pays tribute to doctors who practice 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.
“This is an unexpected honour, and I am deeply touched that my work is being acknowledged in this way,” Dr Krige, who practises at Netcare Greenacres Hospital in Port Elizabeth, commented after receiving the award.
The general manager of Netcare Greenacres Hospital, Andre Bothma, says that Dr Krige’s association with the hospital dates back to the facility’s inception in 1985. Prior to this, Dr Krige did his internship at Baragwanath Hospital, as it was then known, in 1975 and his senior internship in the intensive care unit of the then JG Strydom Hospital in 1977. He gained experience as registrar at Baragwanath Hospital from 1978 to 1979, and qualified as a physician in 1979. In 1980 he served as senior registrar at the same hospital,” Bothma states.
“His distinguished career has benefitted patients in both the public and private sectors, and from 1981 to 1983 he headed up the respiratory unit at Baragwanath Hospital, and then served as a consultant for the then Johannesburg General Hospital respiratory unit in 1983,” Bothma says.
In 1992 Dr Krige earned his specialisation as a pulmonologist and over the years he has contributed extensively to national bodies and professional associations including the South African Allergy Society, the SA Pulmonology Society, the pulmonology division of the SA College of Medicine and the National Asthma Education Campaign Committee.
“He was a part-time senior consultant at Provincial Hospital Port Elizabeth from 1984 to 1994, and a Fellow of the American College of Chest Physicians since 2014. In addition, Dr Krige served as chairman of the Netcare Greenacres Hospital Physicians’ Advisory Committee from 2009 to 2012 and as chairman of the hospital’s Antibiotic Stewardship Committee since 2015,” Bothma observes.
In January 2003, Dr Krige extended the range of services available at Netcare Greenacres Hospital with the establishment of a sleep laboratory. He was also instrumental in introducing a lung function laboratory and a cardio-pulmonary exercise test (CPET) at the hospital. He is also a senior member of the team responsible for extra corporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) care at the hospital.
Dr Krige is passionate about sharing his skills and insights, holding regular presentations for general practitioners on subjects such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung disorders. He has contributed to a number of journals on topics such as asthma, and an assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients for air travel. He has also presented research findings from the sleep laboratory at the annual Thoracic Society Congress.
“Dr Krige’s professional accomplishments are too numerous to list in full, suffice to say we are very pleased that he has chosen to share his rare and valuable skills with our patients at Netcare Greenacres Hospital and we hope that this association will continue for many years to come. We thank Dr Krige for his devotion to his calling,” Bothma says.
Dr Krige acknowledged the team who assist him, saying that their contribution has been invaluable to his work.
“First and foremost, I would like to thank my beloved wife, Maureen, for being an outstanding practice manager. My thanks also to Judy de Villiers, our administrator and lung function technician who has been working with me for more than 33 years, and our receptionist Leandri Cloete. Thanks also to sleep lab technician, Ina Byrne, who has been an asset for 20 years, and echocardiographer, Deirdre Steyn, who has ably assisted me for a quarter of a century,” Dr Krige concludes.
Ends
Issued by: Martina Nicholson Associates (MNA) on behalf of Netcare Greenacres Hospital
Contact: Martina Nicholson, Graeme Swinney, Meggan Saville and Pieter Rossouw
Telephone: (011) 469 3016
Email: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] or [email protected]a