Review article
John C. Carapanayiotis (1909–1999): the Greek radiologist and pioneer of physiatry in Greece
Christos S. Baltas
; Radiology Imaging Department, General Hospital of Athens “G. Gennimatas”, Athens, Greece
Alexia P. Balanika
; Computed Tomography Department, General Hospital of Athens “Asklepieion Voulas”, Athens, Greece
Olga J. Carapanayiotis
; Radiological Department, “The Onassis Cardiac Surgery Centre”, Athens, Greece
Graeme Hesketh
; Computed Tomography Department, General Hospital of Athens “Asklepieion Voulas”, Athens, Greece
Markos N. Sgantzos
; Anatomy Department and History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Thessaly, Larissa, Greece
Abstract
John C. Carapanayiotis was specialized in physical medicine and rehabilitation in the USA in 1948, at a time when the medical world in post-war Greece was ignorant of this specific medical specialty, and the political, economic and social backdrop was incapable of accepting and understanding the wealth of scientific knowledge that he was trying to introduce. At this point it should be noted that the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation was established in Greece in 1973.
John C. Carapanayiotis was a member of the American Congress of Physical Medicine during the 1950’s. In the same period, he expressed interest, on behalf of the New York University, in the establishment of a Physical Therapy Clinic in Greece, which would be granted unlimited funding by the Marshal Plan. His efforts clashed constantly with the backward mentality of his time, with the entrenched conservatism and with the bureaucratic red tape. Unfortunately, he was far ahead of his time and was condemned to the same fate as all other visionaries and pioneers in the way that his knowledge and scientific background were not put into practice for decades to come.
Keywords
physiatrist; physical medicine and rehabilitation; history; Greece
Hrčak ID:
192934
URI
Publication date:
15.12.2017.
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