In Memoriam: Dr. Giora Almagor
In Memoriam: Dr. Giora Almagor – A Pillar of Family Medicine and a Dear Friend
By Dr. Bodossakis-Prodromos Merkouris
Honorary President of ELEGEIA (Greek Association of General Practice)
On behalf of ELEGEIA and the WONCA Family
It is with a heavy heart and a profound sense of loss that I write these words to honor the memory of Dr. Giora Almagor. To the international medical community, he was a visionary leader and a pioneer of Family Medicine. To us in Greece, he was a foundational mentor. To me, he was a "kardiakos filos"—a brother at heart— for thirty six years.
Our journey began in September 1987 in Klagenfurt, Austria, during the SIMG Congress. I was there representing ELEGEIA, and Giora was representing the Executive Board of WONCA. In just two days, a bond was formed that would remain unbroken through the decades. It was Giora who introduced me to the principles of WONCA, and through his guidance and invitation to the World Congress in Jerusalem in 1989, ELEGEIA was accepted as a full member, representing Greece on the global stage.
At that landmark Council, Giora was elected President of the Council. At the time, the WONCA Bylaws provided for a Chairman of the Council within the Executive Committee who presided over the Council’s proceedings—a role that was later replaced by the position of CEO during the tenure of his successor, Dr. Alfred Lo.
Giora’s professional legacy is immense. As Chair of the Israeli Association of Family Physicians and Vice President of WONCA Europe, he helped shape the very identity of our specialty. By the end of his term in 1991, his expertise was recognized by the WHO, which invited him to Copenhagen to join the Primary Care Department of the Euro Unit, where he was destined to succeed Dr. W. Hubrich. However, shortly after starting this prestigious role, unexpected health challenges forced him to resign and return to Israel. This prematurely halted a meteoric career that had already left an indelible mark on global General Practice and Primary Health Care.
He was a man who moved seamlessly between the clinic, the classroom, and the international conference hall. His work on Short Family Therapy in Ambulatory Medicine (SFAT-AM) remains a testament to his belief that even the briefest medical encounter can be a profound therapeutic relationship. In 1995, his contributions were rightly recognized with the WONCA Fellowship, the highest honor in our field.
For ELEGEIA, Giora was more than a colleague; he was a reference point. His clinical wisdom and academic rigor influenced generations of Greek GPs, shaping our curricula and the way we advocate for primary care as the backbone of a humane health system.
Beyond the titles and the academic achievements, there was the man. Our families grew up together. We shared homes, meals, and stories across Haifa, Thessaloniki, Rhodes, and Corfu. We traveled the world —from Canada to Portugal— always finding time to discuss the future of medicine and the joys of life.
This past spring, Giora called me with a simple request: he wanted to visit me one last time, alone, in the quiet mountains of Northern Greece where I now reside. We spent a peaceful week together in the serenity of the peaks. Looking back, I realize that week was his silent farewell —a testament to a friendship that transcended borders and professional duties. Shortly after, during the WONCA World Conference in Lisbon, we received the news that he had to return home due to a sudden illness. Even in those final, difficult moments, he remained composed, facing his journey with the same dignity and clarity that characterized his entire life.
Dr. Giora Almagor was one of the early builders who created the structures within which we all work today. His legacy lives on in every consultation where a family physician listens more carefully and sees not just a patient, but a human being within a community.
We express our deepest solidarity with his family and his colleagues in Israel.
Farewell, my dear Giora. You have left an indelible mark on our hearts and on the history of General Practice. Your memory will be eternal.