Professor Albert Bernard-Repsold Janse van Rensburg passed away after a brief and traumatic hospitalization at Milpark Hospital on 23 April 2020, a few days after he celebrated his 60th birthday. Bernard embodied qualities of dedication, patience, compassion and academic excellence.
Born in Pretoria in 1960, Bernard was an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at WITS and Head of the Psychiatric Unit at the Helen Joseph Hospital. Upon completion of high school in Ermelo, he studied medicine at the University of the Free State, completing in 1983. He then worked in national health planning and policy in Pretoria, before embarking upon his specialisation in Psychiatry at the University of Stellenbosch and WITS. After a brief stint in private practice, he joined the circuit at WITS. He obtained a PhD from WITS in 2010 on the role of spirituality in psychiatric practice and his experience included health planning and epidemiology, general and consultation-liaison psychiatry, research development and governance of professional associations. He was passionate about the social contract that psychiatrists have with our society and instrumental in the stance the South African Society of Psychiatrists (SASOP) took against the Gauteng Marathon Project that led to the Life Esidimeni tragedy.
Bernard was the inspiration that established the Spirituality and Psychiatry Special Interest Group at SASOP of which he was convenor for many years. During his time both as convenor and active member, he lectured in South Africa and in various world forums (Spain, Brazil and Israel). In 2012, he authored SASOP's position statement on culture, mental health and psychiatry. In 2016, Bernard presented the Spirituality and Psychiatry Special interest group vision for incorporation into the local guidelines for psychiatric training. These are now part of both undergraduate and postgraduate training programs. He was also the chair of the SAMA Academic Doctors Association (ADASA). He also completed a postgraduate diploma in health sciences education in 2018. He was appointed in March 2019 as Assistant Head of School for Cluster B (Psychiatry, Internal Medicine, Neurosciences and Radiation Sciences) of the School of Clinical Medicine at the WITS Faculty of Health Sciences.
A kind person with a sensitive soul, all who knew him would say he was involved in many things and with many people. He was a visionary with energy, and he created awareness amongst clinicians of the importance of spiritual, religious and cultural issues. He was an academic who supervised many MMED projects and was the chairperson of the Department of Psychiatry's research committee. There is no doubt that he demonstrated extraordinary and unusual service over and above his normal duties. During his time with us, he clearly influenced the faculty in achieving its strategic goals and made an impact on the broad community within the discipline of Psychiatry, in clinical medicine and beyond. For these attributes, he was posthumously honoured with the Dean's award for exceptional service.
We mourn the loss of this gentle giant in Psychiatry in South Africa and remember him fondly. May his dear soul rest in peace.
Professor Ugasvaree Subramaney