George Getzel Cohen
Encyclopedia
Dr. George Getzel Cohen was born in 1927, attended Parktown Boys' High School
and the University of the Witwatersrand
and is the founder of Harry's Angels, an innovative flying doctors project which flew specialists
from South Africa
to Swaziland
through the 1970s, bringing free specialist treatment to an impoverished country.
The kingdom of Swaziland had few specialists of its own at that time, relying on general practitioners for all medical work. Cohen, a Johannesburg
radiologist, approached Harry Oppenheimer
, a mining
magnate
with progressive views, to provide small airplanes to fly surgeon
s and other specialists from Johannesburg to Mbabane
for weekends where they would donate their time to the local hospital. Before Cohen created the project, patients had to be flown to Johannesburg at considerable cost to receive specialist intervention. The project received considerable acclaim in South Africa and Swaziland.
The all-white South African government attempted to use Cohen to provide a similar scheme to one of its Bantustans—land tracts usually without mineral resources parcelled out to blacks- in an attempt to justify apartheid. The aim of involving Cohen was to validate the Bantustans as separate countries to which South Africa was providing help. But Cohen, strongly committed to a non-racist South Africa, refused. Instead, he drew attention to the poverty and malnourishment in these areas, pointing out basic needs which required attention to before specialist medical services could be of use. His refusal drew front-page national news coverage.
Cohen won a seat in the Johannesburg City Council representing the anti-apartheid Progressive Party
.
He handed over leadership of Harry's Angels to another doctor in 1978 when he migrated to Sydney, Australia
, where he ran a highly successful radiology practice for nearly 30 years.
Cohen attended Parktown Boys' High School
and the niversity of the Witwatersrand]. He obtained his post-graduate degrees in London at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is married to wife of 60 years, Vivian, and has three children, and four grandchildren.
Parktown Boys' High School
Parktown Boys' High School is a public high school for boys in Parktown, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Parktown Boys' is well known for its emphasis on holistic education and in 2009 was rated as one of the top performing state schools in South Africa, and in the top ten schools in...
and the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
and is the founder of Harry's Angels, an innovative flying doctors project which flew specialists
Specialty (medicine)
A specialty in medicine is a branch of medical science. After completing medical school, physicians or surgeons usually further their medical education in a specific specialty of medicine by completing a multiple year residency to become a medical specialist.-History of medical specialization:To...
from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
to Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
through the 1970s, bringing free specialist treatment to an impoverished country.
The kingdom of Swaziland had few specialists of its own at that time, relying on general practitioners for all medical work. Cohen, a Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
radiologist, approached Harry Oppenheimer
Harry Oppenheimer
Harry Frederick Oppenheimer was a prominent South African businessman and one of the world's richest men...
, a mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
magnate
Business magnate
A business magnate, sometimes referred to as a capitalist, czar, mogul, tycoon, baron, oligarch, or industrialist, is an informal term used to refer to an entrepreneur who has reached prominence and derived a notable amount of wealth from a particular industry .-Etymology:The word magnate itself...
with progressive views, to provide small airplanes to fly surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s and other specialists from Johannesburg to Mbabane
Mbabane
-References:...
for weekends where they would donate their time to the local hospital. Before Cohen created the project, patients had to be flown to Johannesburg at considerable cost to receive specialist intervention. The project received considerable acclaim in South Africa and Swaziland.
The all-white South African government attempted to use Cohen to provide a similar scheme to one of its Bantustans—land tracts usually without mineral resources parcelled out to blacks- in an attempt to justify apartheid. The aim of involving Cohen was to validate the Bantustans as separate countries to which South Africa was providing help. But Cohen, strongly committed to a non-racist South Africa, refused. Instead, he drew attention to the poverty and malnourishment in these areas, pointing out basic needs which required attention to before specialist medical services could be of use. His refusal drew front-page national news coverage.
Cohen won a seat in the Johannesburg City Council representing the anti-apartheid Progressive Party
Progressive Party (South Africa)
The Progressive Party was a liberal party in South Africa that opposed the ruling National Party's policies of apartheid, and championed the Rule of Law. For years its only member of parliament was Helen Suzman...
.
He handed over leadership of Harry's Angels to another doctor in 1978 when he migrated to Sydney, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, where he ran a highly successful radiology practice for nearly 30 years.
Cohen attended Parktown Boys' High School
Parktown Boys' High School
Parktown Boys' High School is a public high school for boys in Parktown, a suburb of Johannesburg, South Africa. Parktown Boys' is well known for its emphasis on holistic education and in 2009 was rated as one of the top performing state schools in South Africa, and in the top ten schools in...
and the niversity of the Witwatersrand]. He obtained his post-graduate degrees in London at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons. He is married to wife of 60 years, Vivian, and has three children, and four grandchildren.