By Voice staff
Longtime Winkler doctor Dr. Chandy Jacob received recognition in the Manitoba Legislature last week.
On Jacob’s 90th birthday June 1, Morden-Winkler MLA Carrie Hiebert rose to deliver a private member statement thanking him for his decades of service in the local medical community.
“As the first medical specialist to establish a rural surgical program in southern Manitoba, Dr. Jacob brought advanced care closer to home for patients,” she said. “Over an extraordinary 60-year career, he embodied the highest value of the medical profession: integrity, excellence and an unwavering commitment to patient care. Through his skills, kindness and selfless service, he earned the trust and gratitude of generations of Manitobans.
“Dr. Jacob has advocated for rural health care, inspired colleagues and improved the lives of so many. He is also a visionary. Beginning in 1974, he championed the concept of regional health-care centres, helping lay the foundation for what would become the Boundary Trails Health Centre.
“Dr. Jacob could have chosen to practise anywhere in Canada, but he chose to stay in Winkler because of the relationships he built and the community he loves,” Hiebert noted. “On behalf of all of us at the Legislature, the constituents of Morden-Winkler and all Manitobans, thank you. Mere words cannot express our sincere gratitude to you, Dr. Jacob, for your lifetime of service to us.”
