| Awards and Prizes: THE O.V.S. KOK AWARD | <<back |
The award is made in recognition of exceptional contributions to the discipline of anaesthesia through service, teaching and training. Research contributions may be considered but are not a primary criterion. The award is aimed primarily at individuals who have contributed to the upliftment of the specialty through selfless dedication to their patients, students and colleagues. In particular, the award is intended to recognise individuals working in less favoured environments whose achievements have gone largely unrecognised.
Individuals may be nominated for the award by any member of the society in good standing and must be supported by a member of SASA council. The president will convene an adjudication committee for the purpose of obtaining and scrutinising the evidence on which the recommendation is based. Generally, only one award each year will be considered, but the award need not be made annually, if there are no suitable nominees. Self-nomination will not be accepted.
|
Professor O.V.S. Kok (1909 – 1978) Mb.Ch.B. D.T.M., D.A., F.F.A. |
|
Ordino Victor Steyn Kok (Kokkie) was born in Frankfort, Free State in 1909. He graduated from the University of Cape Town Medical School in 1934 and then moved to the Pretoria General Hospital for his intern year. His interest and participation in community affairs was already evident in his student years when he served as secretary and later Vice-President of the Student Representative Council. He was also a Council member of NUSAS (National Union of South African Students) |
 |
He was awarded the Billroth Scholarship by the German Academy and furthered his studies in Germany, Ireland and England where he obtained a Diploma in Tropical Medicine.
During World War II he saw military service in East Africa and the Western Desert but was unfortunately captured and spent 3 ½ years as a P.O.W. in Italy and Austria. At the end of the war he obtained a neurosurgical anaesthetic post in London and subsequently obtained his D.A. He returned to South Africa in 1947 and was appointed Consultant Anaesthetist at Voortrekkerhoogte Military Hospital and the Pretoria General Hospital. In 1951 he accepted the post of fulltime Director of the Department of Anaesthesiology at the University of Pretoria and Pretoria General Hospital. In 1954 he was elected to Fellowship of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
1959 was a landmark year for Anaesthesia in South Africa when the first Chair in Anaesthetics was established at the University of Pretoria and Dr. O.V.S. Kok was appointed as the first Professor of Anaesthesia in South Africa. (1959 – 1974)
Prof. Kok had a great interest in training and development of anaesthetic skills and as far back as 1955 he sent a motion to the Medical Council to institute compulsory Anaesthetic training for all interns. This was already successfully applied at the Pretoria General Hospital, but his motion was ignored until 1959 when it was accepted, mainly through his efforts.
He served the anaesthetic community throughout his distinguished career
- President of SASA for two terms, 1959-60 and 1970-71
- Member of the Medical Council, Federal Council of MASA and Parliamentary committee of MASA.
- Foundation Fellow of the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of surgeons of Ireland.
- Member of the Executive Committee of the WFSA for 4 years and served on several WFSA committees as well as Regional Director for Africa. In this capacity he promoted development of anaesthesia in underdeveloped and independent African countries.
Prof. Pierre Fourie
Prof. Mike James
Compiled from:
Five decades – The South African Society of Anaesthetists 1943 – 93, Nagin Parbhoo
UP Geneeskunde 50 – C.J. Mieny