Anwar Girgis

Anwar Girgis MB BS FRCS (ED) FRACS
Orthopaedic Surgeon
1927 - 2015

Anwar Girgis excelled both at school and university, and following graduation completed his internship at the Cairo University Teaching Hospital. Anwar attended the Cairo University Medical School in 1946 and graduated in 1951. He then worked for two years in rural Egypt adjacent to the Sudanese border. Following this he worked as a surgical registrar and received his diploma of surgery.

In 1956, Egypt was at war with the United Kingdom over the Suez Canal. These were challenging and very difficult times to practice, but during this period Anwar provided a comprehensive service to the communities that he worked in as well as completing his surgical training.

In 1962 he went to Edinburgh to study for his fellowship in surgery, specialising in orthopaedics. During his training in the UK, he worked at Kings College, St Giles, Dorking and East Surrey Hospitals. He returned at that time to work at the Ahmed Maher Public Hospital in Cairo and, in the orthopaedic area, specialising in bone and joint tuberculosis. This hospital was the only one of its kind in the Middle East, and Anwar wrote on the effects of tuberculosis and bone, and in particular Pott's paraplegia.

In 1968, at the invitation of Dr Peter Ring, he returned to the UK. He and Peter became long-long friends and in the following year Anwar and his wife Myrtha - who he met in England moved to Whyalla, where he established the first orthopaedic and trauma service to the West Coast and north of SA. From that time until 1984, Anwar provided a comprehensive orthopaedic and trauma service to the community of Whyalla and the region. For many years he was on call continuously, and would be called to operate through the night as well as maintaining a busy joint replacement, spinal surgery and general orthopaedic service.

On moving to Whyalla, Anwar met Dr Bryan Thompson. They formed a life-long friendship, with Bryan providing anaesthetics every Thursday in Whyalla.

In 1974, Mr Robert Bauze offered to provide fortnightly relief to Anwar's on-call services by going to Whyalla for two days every fortnight. This allowed Anwar a break from continuous call after five years of service 24/7. Anwar and Bob Bauze became life-long friends and, in 1984 when he moved to Adelaide, Anwar established his private practice in association with Bob Bauze. In Adelaide, Anwar worked at the Modbury Hospital, at a private practice in North Adelaide and operated at the Hindmarsh Hospital.

Anwar and Whyalla lawyer Terry Reilly established the first medico-legal conference in Australia, convened in Whyalla. He earlier recognised that medico-legal work was a sub-speciality and his concern was for the patient and supporting their rehabilitation from workplace injuries. He also became a member of the Australian Orthopaedic association in 1970. Anwar was never flustered, never raised his voice in anger, and was able to handle the most complex of situations calmly. He was highly regarded by his colleagues, who respected his commitment to staff and patients.

Both in Egypt and Australia, Anwar was active in educating other medical practitioners, and in Whyalla established weekly GP clinics with GP's from Port Augusta and Whyalla to train in congenital hips dislocation and other orthopaedic problems faced by GP's.

Anwar was a devoted family man, and he is survived by wife Myrtha, two children Mona and Peter, and four grandchildren.

Prof Brendon Kearney

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