Dr. Norman Bethune was a pioneering Canadian thoracic surgeon and humanitarian who revolutionized military medicine by developing the world's first mobile blood transfusion service during the Spanish Civil War and gave his life treating wounded soldiers in China.
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Canadian Thoracic Surgeon, Humanitarian Innovator & Pioneer of Mobile Blood Transfusions
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Honor the extraordinary legacy of Norman Bethune on November 12 with these curated quotes, philosophical reflections, and heartfelt tributes celebrating their monumental impact on Canadian Thoracic Surgeon, Humanitarian Innovator & Pioneer of Mobile Blood Transfusions.
“Medicine, as we are practicing it, is a luxury which the poor cannot afford and the rich abuse. Healthcare must be a universal human right.”
“The doctor's duty is not merely to treat sickness, but to eliminate the social poverty and injustice that breeds it.”
“A physician who works only for profit has forgotten the sacred oath he swore to humanity.”
“Let us make Medicare a right as unquestioned as clean water and breathable air.”
“There are two kinds of medical practice: that which heals the wounded body, and that which heals the wounded society.”
“I am going to China because I feel that is where the need is greatest, and where I can be most useful.”
“Do not pity the man who gives his life for others; pity the man who lives solely for himself.”
“On the battlefield, blood knows no nationality, race, or language. It only knows life.”
“If you can save one life by running toward the guns, you have justified your existence on this earth.”
“My life belongs to the suffering, wherever in the world they may be.”
Canadian Thoracic Surgeon, Humanitarian Innovator & Pioneer of Mobile Blood Transfusions
