{"id":494,"date":"2009-03-14T20:19:54","date_gmt":"2009-03-15T00:19:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/?p=494"},"modified":"2009-03-14T20:19:54","modified_gmt":"2009-03-15T00:19:54","slug":"current-news-in-poland-professor-religas-death","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/polish\/current-news-in-poland-professor-religas-death\/","title":{"rendered":"Current News in Poland – Professor Religa’s Death"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you were in Poland last week, you know there was one bit of sad news that was impossible to miss. The death of professor Zbigniew Religa<\/strong>. Yesterday was his funeral at <\/span>Pow\u0105zki<\/span><\/strong> Cemetery in Warszawa<\/strong>. This was much talked about, too. Not only because professor Religa<\/strong> was a famous kardiochirurg<\/strong> (heart surgeon), but also because he was an avowed ateista<\/strong> (atheist). His funeral service was entirely secular, and I didn\u2019t even know that Pow<\/strong><\/span>\u0105<\/span><\/strong>zki<\/strong> has an area where non-Catholics can be buried.<\/span><\/p>\n

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I admit, I don\u2019t know much about medicine, and all I ever learned about cardiac surgery and heart transplants was from watching ER, but even I knew who Zbigniew Religa<\/strong> was. He was, without a doubt, the most famous Polish medical professional. By perforning the first heart transplant surgery in Poland, he proved that our country was capable of world-class medicine. And to the people whose lives he saved by giving them new hearts in his clinic in Zabrze<\/strong>, he will forever be a true hero.<\/span><\/p>\n

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His funeral was broadcast on TV and it was a very touching ceremony. People came from all over the country to pay their final respects. Professor Religa<\/strong> was buried with full honors normally reserved for heads of state and the like.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The saddest part of this story is the irony of his death. He died of lung cancer. Even though he was a highly educated heart surgeon fully aware of the dangers of tobacco, he was also a devoted smoker. And in his own words, he was \u201cunable to quit.\u201d When his lung cancer was detected, it was already in a very advanced state. <\/span><\/p>\n

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I myself don\u2019t smoke, but I know a couple of people who used to justify their own nicotine addiction by saying that if Dr. Religa<\/strong> could smoke, and he was the Minister of Health at one point, then so could they. This week they both pledged to quit.<\/span><\/p>\n

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