Renowned city surgeon (72) handed top award

A retired 72-year-old hand surgeon, who practised at Netcare Jakaranda hospital in Muckleneuk for 25 years, has been honoured with the prestigious pioneer of hand surgery award in Berlin, Germany.

Professor Ulrich Mennen received the award at the 14th triennial congress of the international federation of societies for surgery of the hand.

The congress was attended by 4 000 hand surgeons and other healthcare professionals from around the globe.

Mennen said it was a great privilege, and the experience of a lifetime to have received the award.

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“I have had the privilege of building on the sterling work done by predecessors who inspired me to follow in their footsteps.

“We are most fortunate to currently have outstanding hand surgeons and hand therapists in South Africa, as well as excellent hospital facilities,” he said.

Director of Netcare’s north-east region Dr Erich Bock said Mennen was undoubtedly one of the finest and most pioneering hand surgeons in the world.

Bock said Mennen had not only made an outstanding contribution to the Netcare Jakaranda hospital, but also to the field of hand surgery internationally.

“It is, therefore, most appropriate for him to have been recognised by his profession and peers internationally with his accolade,” he said.

“We at Netcare would like to congratulate him on being acknowledged with this well-deserved award, and thank him for his outstanding contribution to the advancement of hand surgery.”

Mennen has served on the international federation of societies for surgery of the hand executive committee for many years and was elected its 16th president in 2010.

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Bock said Mennen was the only hand surgeon from the African continent to have been made the president of the federation.

“He served in that role with great distinction until 2013,” said Bock.

Mennen graduated as a medical doctor from the University of Pretoria in 1970 and later worked and studied further in Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada for a number of years.

This then led him to qualify abroad as a general surgeon in 1978.

The Medical University of Southern Africa (Medunsa) requested Mennen to establish and head its department of hand and microsurgery in 1985.

This active department has hosted numerous international hand surgeons, trained surgeons from all disciplines in the art of microsurgery, taught many registrars and local and international hand fellows and has been involved in the teaching of thousands of local medical students.

The general manager of Netcare Jakaranda hospital Priscilla Botha said Mennen had left an indelible mark on the facility.

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“Professor Mennen is greatly missed by the management and staff at the hospital. We congratulate him on his well-deserved award and wish him all the very best going forward in his retirement,” she said.

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