05 07 2007 - Sir Ara Darzi (Terzian), Minister of Health in U.K

Jean ECKIAN:
New Prime Minister of UK, Gordon Brown, has appointed a practicing surgeon as a minister at the Department of Health.
Professor Sir Ara Darzi (Terzian), who is charged with improving patient
care, has been promoted from his previous role as National Advisor on surgery. Sir Ara, chair of surgery at Imperial College London, supports government plans to reconfigure NHS services.

Professor Darzi was born in Iraq but spent much of his childhood in Ireland. In 2003 he became a British citizen. He was awarded a knighthood;in 2003 for his services to medicine and surgery. Dr.Darzi's father, Vartkes, is a retired civil and structural;engineer who was the first Iraq-born Armenian to study at the University of California;in Berkeley in the late 1940's.
The son of a Genocide survivor, Vartkes (Terzian) Darzi settled in Dublin;after graduation and started a family in a city which did not even have an Armenian community. "I used to travel a lot, working in many countries in the Middle East, while Ara and his sister stayed home with my wife. But we were a very
close-knit Armenian family and I have raised Ara as an Armenian," Vartkes Darzi said. "Unfortunately, we did not have a large circle of Armenian riends,something which I want my son to start doing. I have retired, and London is our home now, and it is such an advantage to be involved with the Armenian community," he said. While not involved in things Armenian, Dr. Darzi remains greatly interested
in Armenian issues. But in a recent interview, Dr. Darzi said he would "really like to take my knowledge to Armenia. I would love to visit and do something constructive there.
"I have not had the chance until now, but I hope to get more involved in
the coming years. I want to go to my roots. I have served in many countries around the world. Why not also Armenia?" he said "I would like to volunteer and even take some essential equipment to
Armenia to train other doctors there. All I need is the right opportunity." He said.
"Ara is a truly remarkable surgeon, not just for his surgical skills, but also for his ability to develop and adapt new technologies for the benefit of patients," said Professor Stephen Smith, Principal of the Faculty of Medicine. "As well as helping turn Imperial into a world-class centre for surgical teaching and training, he has also found time to advise on best practice nationally for surgery, a contribution which has been felt around the UK."
Content preview: Hi Vahe, Is you can not see the articles you may want to log on the Armenian news for Dr Darzi's background and his appointment that was announced on BBC. Below are the websites I'll be in Italy for a wedding beginning of September (Civita Castellana and Rome), what are upcoming Zatik programs for September? Anything special coming up? [...]

V.V