Memorial service pays tribute to body donors

Tuesday, 3 March 2015

Family members, students and staff will gather at the University of Adelaide's Bonython Hall tomorrow (Wednesday 4 March) to pay their respects to those who have helped to advance medical research and training by generously donating their bodies to science.

The Annual Memorial and Dedication Service is held on behalf of all three South Australian universities.

"The gift of body donation is immeasurable not just to the medical fraternity but to the South Australian community in general," says Professor Alastair Burt, Executive Dean of the University's Faculty of Health Sciences.

"Our Body Donation Program is deeply indebted to the generosity and humanity of the State's body donors and their families," Professor Burt says.

"Human body donation remains one of the most powerful learning tools for medical students. Such donations provide invaluable opportunities for educating the next generation of medical researchers and health care professionals. This benefit is felt throughout the State thanks to the quality of our graduates' training."

The University of Adelaide has been accepting body donations since its Medical School was first established more than 130 years ago. It operates a central mortuary facility and a State-wide body donation program on behalf of all universities in South Australia. The program has the highest donation rate per capita in Australasia.

The Annual Memorial and Dedication Service will be held in Bonython Hall, University of Adelaide's North Terrace campus, at 5.00pm on Wednesday 4 March.

For more information about the Service and the Body Donation Program, visit the School of Medical Sciences website.

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