A pioneer in critical care medicine
John O'Donovan pioneered Australian critical care medicine in a career spanning 40 years. In 1964 he co-established an intensive care unit at St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, bringing together all medical and surgical patients in need of acute resuscitation. In 1968 he was appointed director of intensive care and resuscitation at Box Hill and District Hospital in Melbourne as a full time specialist responsible for the management of all critically ill patients, admissions and discharges, and the education of junior doctors and nurses within the unit. Such an appointment in this fledgling specialty was the first in Australia, possibly the world.
His medical interests and publications were in intravenous fluids and resuscitation. He founded the Australian Society of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition in 1973 and was a foundation member and secretary of the Australian Society of Critical Care Medicine from 1974 to 1979. Internationally he promoted the establishment of intensive care and emergency services, particularly in Asia.
In 1980 he was appointed consultant in charge in accident and emergency medicine at St James's Hospital, Balham, London, where he successfully made major structural and organisational changes to the department. In 1985 he returned to Australia, where he built up a successful medicolegal practice. He leaves a wife Elaine; and her two sons and daughter.
Former consultant physician and intensivist St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, and consultant in emergency medicine St James's Hospital, Balham, London (b 1933; q Melbourne 1957; FRACP), died from cancer on 26 December 2001.
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