Dr Van der Horst, a compassionate healer and gentle soul

"True healing transcends the body; it touches the heart and spirit." It is with profound sorrow, yet deep gratitude, that I write this tribute to Dr Evert van der Horst, who passed away recently. Throughout the years, Van der Horst embodied the rare blend of efficiency and effectiveness with the rare quality of empathy with sensitivity in his medical practice, coupled with a humility and collegial spirit that touched all who had the privilege to know him.

- Dr Rajesh Maharaj writes:

Though my background lies in post-school education, now retired, he always referred to me as his colleague - a testament to his respectful and inclusive nature. Yet he was an accomplished academic with numerous scholarly articles and many honorary seats as a lecturer and district surgeon among others. Herein did his true humility stand out: In our conversations and discussions, not once did he use any of the aforementioned to impress; he merely expressed his views by his own cognizance and clearly got his points across.

Van der Horst was not just a medical professional; he was a holistic and accomplished practitioner with a unique ability to integrate both allopathic and complementary medical approaches.