Sad passing of noted medical professional
THE broad community is saddened by the passing after illness of Dr Daan Struwig, who is survived by his wife Louise and daughters Estée, Marlie and Danike, his brother Hannes and sister Wilna and a host of friends and patients.
Daniël Johannes Struwig was born on 1 January 1956 in Vereeniging, Carltonville. He grew up in Riebeeckstad and later completed his high school career in Welkom, after which he went on to study Medicine at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein.
Daan arrived in Empangeni in July 1980 to complete his housemanship at Ngwelezana Hospital where he met his future partners.
He spent the next two years doing military service in Special Ops and completed his diploma in Anaesthetics. He returned to Ngwelezana Hospital, managing the Intensive Care Unit and soon after joined the Dr Corrie van Rensburg practice, which grew rapidly as they operated from four different surgeries over many years.
Apart from excelling as a doctor, he also shone in outdoor activities including underwater hockey, spearfishing, water-skiing, diving and surfing.
An able blues musician, he played a number of instruments and loved entertaining friends and family on the harmonica and concertina.
During his years in Zululand his consummate knowledge of decompression medicine allowed for him to take over the decompression chamber in Richards Bay attending to diving accidents covering the coast from Mozambique all the way down to the South Coast of KZN.
His great aptitude for computers resulted in their practice becoming the first computerised practice in Zululand.
He was also lured into medical politics where he played a major role in developing the Independent Practitioners Association and The National Medicine Formulary.
He also formed the Affordable Medicine Trust which resulted in a major reduction in the cost of medicine as well as a National Network of Doctors and the electronic management of medicine usage.
In 2002 he obtained his diploma in Occupational Health, and soon developed an electronic medical surveillance program, Occserv, which at present is used extensively by occupational medical practitioners across South Africa.
His influence on affordability of medical care and management thereof is immeasurable. He continued to run his practices in Richards Bay, KWAMBONAMBI and Empangeni until his passing.
• The memorial service for Dr Daan Struwig will take place on Tuesday, 20 February at 3:30pm at the NG Church in Meerensee.
Thereafter his family extends an invitation to a special celebration of his life at the Richards Bay Ski Boat Club