GEORGE NUUS - Dr Evert van der Horst, a seasoned general practitioner who had practised in George for decades, passed away on Tuesday 12 August at the age of 84.
Van der Horst was a respected name in conventional and alternative medicine with more than 50 years in the medical field, and was still practising up to a week before his death.
He was much loved among his patients. “A more loving and caring person than Evert is hard to find. He was always there for everyone,” said his life partner, Rose Hennings. “One of his long-standing patients, who was shocked by his sudden death, said he had been her doctor for 50 years, and she does not know where she will go now. He served his patients with empathy and had such a wealth of knowledge.”
Hennings said Van der Horst had been hospitalised at Bay View Hospital a week before his passing. “He was feeling unwell and tired, and was diagnosed with heart failure.”
Van der Horst suffered a heart attack in hospital on Tuesday morning.
He was a long-standing client of George Herald. Rozanne Olivier, acting head of advertising, said she had recently interacted with him regarding an advertisement. “He was still looking forward to keeping his practice going. Every time we had an appointment, he would ask about my family. He always remembered everyone’s names and even my daughter’s age. He was a remarkable man,” she said.
According to an advertorial on Van der Horst’s practice, which appeared in the newspaper in June, he qualified at the University of Pretoria and had advanced training in clinical pharmacology, as well as in Chinese medicine, through international institutions, including studies in Lanzhou, China. He became an expert in traditional Chinese medicine and worked with leading research groups across various continents in this field over the years.
His passion for education and medical advancement earned him several honorary titles, including honorary senior lecturer at Medunsa and honorary district surgeon in Johannesburg.
He also authored numerous reference works and health guides in pharmacology and traditional medicine, and contributed to the academic and professional training of healthcare practitioners until recently.
Van der Horst leaves behind two brothers, Gerhard and Johannes, who live in Cape Town.
His funeral arrangements had not been finalised at the time of the article going live.
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