Dr. Ricardo Galliani
A man that made from medicine his religion
(Published in "La Mañana" on July 31, 1998)
Collaboration of Jorge Bricchi - Photos by Carlos Galliani
Ricardo Galliani was in the High school when he already had inclination for the biological sciences.
His vocation carried him of resolved manner to the medicine; from which he didn't hesitate to express "was reaffirmed by the example from of my admired teachers".
Next January will mark the fifty fourth anniversary of his graduation as a doctor.
Profession that
conjugated with several journeys. From many of them he keeps memories that he bring up: "Paraphrasing the sentence, you learn from your own errors and from the success of the others. Successes persist in my memories, distinctions, and unforgettable journeys and also mistakes are unforgettable lessons.
The most important without doubts was the first journey to Africa, for the complexity of the elected route and for the personal contact with Dr. Shweitzer".
Dr. Galliani meditates from the years-lived in Saladillo. "My history of more than half a century in this district is a rosary of satisfactions shared with my family, my friends and the congregation that still accompany me.
His family is composed by four male children, ten grandsons (seven girls and three youth males). Most of them are residing in the United States. "We have permanent contact, by mail, phone and personal", expressed.
He has enough tasks. He get up at 6:30 am, has breakfast and works in his papers until 8. Then he goes to Clinic Saladillo in order to attend his patient until 11:30 am. Then, after eating lunch and a brief rest, he completes the visits and tasks. "I read and carry out any manual work until midnight, when I go to rest", he added.
Dr. Galliani has reduced his work hours. He attends his patients only in the morning in the Clinic.
To his 82 years all a pattern of stability and admiration.
"I could not gather the necessary anger to leave my occupation finally. It is a pleasure that I enjoy within the limits that impose me the wisdom and the common sense. I am mentally prepared for the end of my race. My greater desire is to get together the goal with my profession and their vital support", he says.
From our optic we can observe that, time behind, the patient were more a friend of the doctor, we interrogated Dr. Galliani about the change in the relationship patient-doctor. "It is right observation. The advances of the knowledge and the greater technological complexity segmented that relationship. It is at the present time broken into fragments. The multiplicity of specialties makes more effective the fight against several pathologies. The unnecessary red tape of health systems damages and cool out the generating support of the quota of trust that assures a therapeutically success", he expressed.
He many things to say regarding his travels. When we consulted him on the country that more astonished him due to the medical technology and the quality of life, he argued: "The astonishment has two ends. One the important centers of medical attention from United States, Europe and Australia. They surprise for their elevated technological level, for its organization and the dexterity of its specialized doctors".
"In the other end of the astonishment is the centers, some important, of alternative medicine or traditional medicine that I visited in Lhesa, capital of Tibet. Very concurred and apparently successful. Even though incompatible with the notions of occidental modern medicine.
Concerning the quality of life, it is more in connection with the economical level and the culture of the several social stratums than with their geographical localization. Same considerations fit for Saladillo. The individual IQ, the labors possibilities and the access to the teaching are the controllers of the readiness of comfortable life and sanitary protection".
"Saladillo’s medical centers have very good equipment. The doctors and others Professionals of the health care are distinguished for their elevated level of efficiency and accessibility. The body of nurses and assistants is admirable, with representatives of great vocation and technical quality".
"Saladillo is not land favored for geographical spectacular whims, but it is an environment of human lukewarmness and spiritual generalized quality.
Native cradle of noted personalities of the artistic chore, professional, cultural and political".
"It had its anxiety when the somber national and Europeans dictatorships pursued distinguished artists and thinkers of those of more astonishing stages of the history. In the last years there is been a common place highlight the urban-rural progress of our county, better than the of other zones of Populations comparatively similar".
We attempted to reflect the task of years of a man that provided medical care to several generations. Many of which remember him. They remember their "family doctor"; a title something oblivious in the current vortex of change.