It is with sadness that we report the death of Dr Marius Barnard, the founder of trauma insurance.
Dr Barnard, a renowned heart surgeon, passed away in his home in South Africa on Friday 14 November, following a long battle with prostate cancer. He was aged 87.
Among his long list of achievements, Dr Barnard is credited with inventing trauma (critical illness) insurance. Motivated by the financial hardship he saw his patients suffer while receiving treatment, Dr Barnard convinced South African insurers to introduce a new type of insurance to cover the cost of major illnesses.
He also helped his brother, Christiaan Barnard, perform the world’s first human heart transplant in Cape Town in 1967, and was a member of the South African parliament in the 80s, strongly opposing the apartheid regime.
The risk store’s Founder & Technical Manager, Sue Laing, had the following message for Dr Barnard, who she had the pleasure of meeting with on a number of occasions: “Bless you Marius – you were a gentle giant in many ways and your influence will never be matched.”
Dr Barnard is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.
