Aziz Mahmood Shukri

Former professor of surgery Baghdad (b Baghdad 1923; q Baghdad 1946; FRCS, FRCS Ed 1953, FRCSI (hon)), died from a heart attack on 18 June 2004.

After national service Aziz Mahmood Shukri travelled to the United Kingdom, where he trained at various London hospitals. Upon his return to Iraq, he was appointed as a specialist surgeon. He became professor of surgery in Baghdad in 1966. Professor Shukri held several national, professional, and academic offices, but the role that he most cherished was his chairmanship of the Iraqi Commission for Medical Specialisations 1988-2004. This period spanned the 13 years of sanctions against Iraq, which resulted in an embargo on scientific and medical literature. Professor Shukri struggled behind the scenes to help avert a catastrophic decline in standards of medical education. He leaves a wife, Margaret, and three children.