Velva Schrire: the Pioneer of South African Cardiology

Velva Schrire is one of the founders of modern cardiology in South Africa.  Velva was born in the town of Kimberley, which at that time, was still part of the Cape Province of the Union of South Africa. He was educated at Kimberley’s Boys high, where he graduated in 1933. He was not only valedictorian but graduated with the highest marks in the country for the School-leaving examination. After high school, he enrolled as a medical student at the University of Cape Town.  He graduated with his M.B Ch.B. degree with honors in 1941. While completing his training in medicine, he worked towards his Ph.D. in Physiology. He went on to do an internship at the Groote Schuur Hospital. His medical career was however placed on pause when he volunteered for service to be a medical officer in the Union Defence Force. He served as a medical captain in the South African medical corpse from 1943 till 1945.

After his service in the War, Schrire returned to Groote Schuur hospital, working in the fields of pathology and medicine. He was awarded a traveling fellowship in 1949, spending two years as the Senior Registrar at the National Heart Hospital in London. In 1950, he obtained his MRCP, in London, as well as Edinburgh.

He finally returned to Cape Town in 1951, but due to no open possession for physicians, Schrire opened his own private practice. He received a part-time appointment at The University of Cape Town, working tirelessly to secure a spot for cardiology at the teaching hospital of Groote Schuur.

The Cardiac clinic was founded by Schrire in 1951, establishing a consultation and ECG service. Schrire had a great presence and enthusiasm for cardiology, which led to the acquisition of greater facilities, which led to patients being properly diagnosed and treated. Ultimately establishing cardiology as a research field in South Africa.

This was the first cardiology unit of its kind in South Africa, establishing the study of modern cardiology within Africa. He was awarded the FRCP Edinburgh in 1960 and in 1962, the FRCP London.  Throughout his life, he had approximately 295 published papers. He also co-wrote a paper with Prof Chris Barnard, called ‘The Surgery of Common Congenital Cardiac Malformations’ which was translated into various other languages.

Schrire played a significant role in the world’s first successful heart transplant. He recognized the various benefits that the success of the surgery held and gave Prof Chris Barnard the authority and resources to change the course of medicine forever. From 1960, Schrire served as the Director of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research at the University of Cape Town, as principle cardiologist and physician at the University’s teaching hospital, as well as a principal physician at the Red Memorial Children’s hospital in Cape Town.  In his various positions, Schrire helped incorporate various medical advances, under tremendous difficulty.

Velva Schrire was often described as a workaholic, with tremendous determination and intelligence. Schrire’s untimely death in 1972 from a carcinoma of the pancreases cut short the life of a brilliant surgeon and medical pioneer, who will always be remembered for his great contribution to World medicine.