A well-known member of a pioneering Swiss missionary family associated with the Elim Hospital and the Lemana School, Dr Pierre Jaques of Elim Hospital, passed away in August at his home in Blairgowrie, Randburg. He is survived by his wife Rachel and his daughters Vivianne, Nadine and Colette and his sisters Pierrette and Marie-lise.

The following obituary was received from Mr Rob Milton of Louis Trichardt:

Pierre Henri Jaques was born at Elim Hospital as the son of reverend Alexandre Jaques, who started Lemana School. Both his grandparents had been Swiss missionaries in the area.

After obtaining his matric at King Edward School in Johannesburg, Pierre studied medicine at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he graduated in 1952. Despite contracting polio while in his first year at university, which left him significantly handicapped, he fought his way back from being in a wheelchair to crutches and finally to being able to walk, albeit with the characteristic limp many people remember him by. In December 1952, he married Rachel Bertrand-Jaques, whom he had known since childhood. She was also the daughter of Swiss missionaries.

The next few years saw him studying surgery in the UK and returning to Elim Hospital to take up the post of Medical Officer. He took over as Superintendent from his uncle and mentor, Dr Jean Rosset, in 1964, and remained as Senior Superintendent and Senior Specialist in Family Medicine until his retirement in 1993.

His stay at Elim spanned the years of transition from Mission Hospital to Homeland Hospital (Gazankhulu) to Rural Hospital under the new dispensation.

The hospital grew to be the largest facility north of Pretoria, encompassing a 660 bed hospital with specialist opthalmological services, a nurses´ training college and 22 district clinics. The system of "community care groups", initiated during his stay, has now gained worldwide acceptance as a method of extending health care in rural communities.

Besides his hospital duties, he also served as family practitioner. His passion was family medicine and he furthered his studies on a part-time basis to obtain a master´s degree in family medicine (M. Med. Dom) from the University of Pretoria and diplomas in public health (DPH) and in tropical medicine and hygiene (DTM & H) from the University of the Witwatersrand.

Pierre was an active member of Round Table and Rotary in Louis Trichardt, where he served as chairman and president for many years. He also sat on various committees involved in the promotion of rural health and the training and deployment of appropriately trained health workers in South Africa. In his post-retirement years, much of his energy was invested in teaching and examining doctors and in the publication of numerous articles on this subject. He served as manager of the Journal of SA Family Practice. He presented papers and lectures at international congresses and universities in Hong Kong, Israel, Switzerland and Canada.

The "Pierre Jaques Award" was established by the Rural Doctors’ Association of SA. It is awarded annually by the Department of Family Medicine of the University of the Witwatersrand to the rural doctor who has contributed the most to rural health during that year.

Dr Pierre Henri Jaques will be fondly remembered by many and stands testimony to a life well lived.