Dear Friends and Colleagues,

It is with great sadness that we need to inform you of the sudden passing of our friend, mentor and colleague – Prof Barney De Villiers – on 09 June 2010.

Following a sudden collapse, Professor Barney required emergency surgery for a leaking aortic aneurism. After responding well initially, he took a turn for the worse and passed away on the night of 9 June.

In addition to his many important contributions to academic and occupational medicine, particularly in the field of radiation, Prof Barney was a champion for hyperbaric medicine and for Divers Alert Network. He also served on the Board of DAN Southern Africa for the past four years. He also served as the chair for the International DAN Research Retreat in Brussels in April 2007. He was a man of great passion and great vision.

Prof Barney will be remembered for many good things – his keen sense of humor, sharp wit, and canny wisdom; his exceptional ability to inspire and lead; and his ability to integrate information across a wide range of disciplines. He had a unique love and compassion for people; he loved life…

He will be sorely missed.

Frans Cronje

DAN Southern Africa

Florida Hyperbaric Chamber Fire.... Download Report

Memo

To:        All UHMS Members                

From:    Peter Bennett, Ph.D., D.Sc., Executive Director

Date:     June 11, 2009

              Re:        Florida Hyperbaric Chamber Fire

 We have had a number of questions in regard to accurate information regarding the fire in one of the monoplace hyperbaric chambers at the Ocean Hyperbaric Neurologic Center in Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida on May 1, 2009.
 
Robert Sheffield, Chair, UHMS Safety Committee, visited the center and spoke with authorities to be able to provide the attached information and photographs.  This is provided to prevent the spread of unfounded rumors as the investigation continues.

NEWS FROM THE PRESIDENT.....

Prof Campbell MacFarlane passed away 7 June 2006

BA, BSc(Hons), MBChB, MSc, MMed(Surg), PhD, FRCSEd, FRCSEng, FACS, FCS(SA), FACEM(Hon), FFAEM, MRACMA, DMCC, FIFEM, FRAeS     Professor MacFarlane was the Netcare Foundation Professor of emergency Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. He graduated from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, in 1965 and served a full career in the Royal Army Medical Corps, training as a general and military surgeon. His service was world-wide and included Singapore, Malaya, Germany as well as UK. He commanded the parachute surgical team, seeing active service in Northern Ireland, Sultanate of Oman and Central America. Civilian secondments included Guy's Hospital, London, Eastern General Hospital, Edinburgh and the Birmingham Accident Hospital. He was Senior Lecturer in Military Surgery at the Royal Army Medical College, Millbank, London. On retiring from the British Army, Professor MacFarlane was Medical Director of hospitals in Sharjah, UAE and in Saudi Arabia. On moving to South Africa, Professor MacFarlane was a Senior Surgeon on the Trauma Unit of Johannesburg Hospital and Senior Lecturer at the University of the Witwatersrand for several years before becoming Head of Emergency Medical Services Training for the Provincial Government. This involved trauma and the wider aspects of Emergency Medicine. His time with EMS and as Principal of the College of Emergency Care for the Gauteng Provincial Government and its predecessor, the Ambulance Training College of the Transvaal Provincial Administration, involved the setting up of training courses for ambulance personnel and the further development of these. It also involved the training of pre-hospital medical officers. He also trained in the USA in anti terrorism and managing effects of Weapons of Mass Destruction. Professor MacFarlane took up his position as Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2003. His special interests were Disaster, Conflict and Humanitarian Medicine, EMS Systems, Prehospital Care, Tropical Medicine, Aviation, Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, Anti-terrorism. He was Chairman of the Emergency Medicine Society of South Africa, Past President of the Southern African Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Association and a past Hunterian Professor of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. He was a visiting Professor to the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA. Those of us who knew Campbell will always remember his eloquence, good humour, dignity and integrity. His passing is a great loss to us all – both personally and professionally. We salute this extraordinary man; we celebrate his life and we will treasure the lingering memories with great fondness.