„Operating is like a map exercise. Every intervention is individual and therefore has to be planned and thought through in detail beforehand. We always tell our patients that in our minds we have already operated on them in every single detail before they even enter the operating theatre.”

Consultant:
Günter Schulz, Bremen

Dr. Hans-Georg Zechel, 64, Orthopaedist

Since 1998, Dr. Hans-Georg Zechel has been spending his annual leave at an operations camp in North- East India. Every year, the director of the Stenum orthopaedic clinic and his team fly out to operate on children with abnormalities within the scope of the JOHAR aid project, which was set up by his wife and is financed through donations. In his last trip, Zechel and his team managed to perform 60 orthopaedic surgical interventions in just 9 days. Strength of purpose and stamina are typical qualities of the former competitive athlete. In rain or snow, Zechel makes the 25 kilometre trip from his home to the clinic on his bike every day. “This gives me an undiluted view of nature’s beauty.” The 64 year-old has been an MLP client since 2004 – and despite initial scepticism, he was convinced by the concept after his very first meeting. “I have neither the time nor the desire to deal intensively with my finances. I much prefer to leave this to a professional, just like my patients expect me to be a professional.”