Obituary

Press, 22 September 1987, Page 25

Obituary

Mr Leopold Mirkin

PA Dunedin A leading Dunedin orthopaedic surgeon, Mr Leopold Mirkin, has died. He was 71. Mr Mirkin died in the operating theatre at Mater Hospital, Dunedin, having just completed a long surgery list After his retirement from Dunedin Hospital in 1980, he had continued in full-time practice, doing surgery regularly at Mater Hospital in addition to an extensive consultancy. . ' .. > Two weeks before his death he performed surgery on his 10,000 th

patient at Mater Hospital. Mr Mirkin, South African-born, enlisted in the South African Army Medical Corps after graduating from Cape Town University, and was posted to North Africa as a battalion medical officer.

He was taken prisoner at Tobruk in 1942 and although he had the opportunity to escape elected to stay with the wounded.

He also volunteered to remain in the Benghazi prisoner-of-war camp where 24,000 prisoners lived in appalling condi-

tions. He was awarded the M.B.E. for his efforts on behalf of the prisoners. After the war he gained further surgical qualifications in Britain before returning to practice as a surgeon in Port Elizabeth.

He was a founder member of the College of Surgeons in South Africa. Mr Mirkin and his family emigrated to Dunedin in 1964, where he took up an appointment as visiting orthopaedic surgeon to the Otago Hospital Board. He was also involved in the teaching programme

at the Otago medical and dental schools and the School of Physiotherapy, as well as conducting a private practice. One of his special interests was spinal surgery, where his expertise enabled the Otago Hospital Board to establish one of only two scoliosis centres in New Zealand.

He had a special interest in the training of physiotherapy students and served on the Physiotherapy Board for 12 years. Mr Mirkin is survived by his wife, a daughter and a son.