In Memoriam Frans van Wijmen

Last week, we received the sad news that Frans van Wijmen, professor emeritus, passed away on 18 November. He was 78.

Frans van Wijmen was professor of health law from 1981 to 2006 with the then Faculty of Health Sciences and the Faculty of Law. He was also administrative advisor to the Academic Hospital Maastricht.

Frans is known for his commitment to the development of health law and for making a significant contribution to patient rights and legislation on the quality of care.

One of the highlights of his professional life was the World Congress on Medical Law held in Maastricht in 2002. He managed to bring the event to the Netherlands for the first time.

Two years ago, in recognition of his great achievements in the field of health law, he received the Roscam Abbingpenning.

Frans was a great inspiration and connector for many. He was also an eminent speaker.

In addition to his work as a professor of health law, he also held many administrative positions. For instance, he was a member of the supervisory board of the VieCurie hospital in Venlo and the Mosea care group in Maastricht, deputy chairman of the healthcare disciplinary board in Eindhoven and chairman of many complaints committees. At the Faculty of Law, he fulfilled the important role of chairman of the Faculty Council for a number of years after his retirement.

Frans also remained active in other fields after his retirement. This included holding the chair of the Sint Pieter Neighbourhood Network. Within the framework of the Care Quality, Complaints and Disputes Act, he worked to set up a provincial disputes committee. Frans was a family man, enjoyed life, loved etching, good food, writing poetry and music. As a poet, he published several collections including 'Ten sonnets on the medical treatment agreement'.

In an interview with de Volkskrant daily in 2003, he talked about the fear of death: "From my youth, I remember something of the fear of death when the 1953 North Sea flood struck the southern province of Zeeland. In my bedroom in Breda, I saw the tidal waves coming over me. (...) That kind of fear ebbs away as you get older, make a career, have children. It comes back when you get past that period. Since I turned 50, I have been thinking more often: how much time do I have left?"

We wish his wife, children and grandchildren much strength in dealing with this great loss.

Photo: Jean-Pierre Geusens