Igor Elkis Chief doctor of the Moscow Ambulance Country: Russia

Biography of Igor Elkis

Igor Semenovich Elkis, the Chief Doctor of Moscow's Emergency Medical Services, is known for his dedication to helping people and his belief that a doctor cannot be a cynic. He values the words of Dr. Gaaz: "Hurry to do good". Igor Semenovich comes from a family of doctors. Due to his background, he was not even accepted as the head of the morgue. This year, he celebrates his 85th birthday.

For the past 25 years, Igor Semenovich Elkis has served as the Deputy Chief Doctor of Moscow's Emergency Medical Services, and since 1994, he has been the Chief Doctor, chosen by a large team of colleagues. In 2003 alone, the Moscow Emergency Medical Services responded to over three million calls, thanks to the modernization efforts led by Dr. Elkis. In 1998, he initiated the creation of a unique computer center to replace the former operational department.

Igor Elkin's passion for medicine began at a young age. His grandfather worked as a medical assistant in the town of Khoshevato in Podolia. The stories about the "town doctor" were well-known not only in Khoshevato but also in big cities where people from these small towns lived. They believed that only Igor Elkin's grandfather could truly heal.

Despite facing several obstacles, including unsuccessful attempts to enter medical school, Igor pursued his dream of becoming a doctor. After finishing school, he entered a medical college and later served in the army for three years, four months, and seventeen days in the Krasnoyarsk region. After the army, he made another unsuccessful attempt to enter medical school. However, he met his wife, whose brother was preparing to enter a technical university. Her brother, convinced that Igor would never be accepted into medical school, persuaded him to join the engineering and economics institute.

Igor Elkin found work with the Emergency Medical Services in a specialized "heart attack" team to support his growing family. In 1965, the team was invited to a television show to celebrate Medical Workers Day in the USSR. After the show, the Minister of Health, V.V. Trofimov, asked the team if they were studying. One of the team members, Yevgeny Yurishev, mentioned that Igor Elkin had tried four times to enter medical school without success. The minister promised to help, and two weeks later, Igor received an offer to transfer from the engineering and economics institute to the medical institute, thanks to Trofimov's persistence.

Igor Elkin's roots trace back to Khoshevato, the town that suffered a fate similar to Guernica in July 1941. The Germans, with the active participation of the locals, exterminated all the Jews. Igor and his parents survived because they had moved to Moscow before the war. Igor's father was an engraver who went to the front and died when Igor was only eight months old. His post-war childhood, like that of many of his peers, was marked by its own unique difficulties. His mother, who worked for the Jewish publishing house "Der emes," was arrested during the persecution of cosmopolitans and spent over two years in prison. Igor lived with his grandmother during that time. When his mother was released from prison, she remarried, and his stepfather treated him kindly.

During school years, Igor was active in sports, particularly football and table tennis. He achieved success in tennis competitions in Moscow. Throughout his long life, Igor has had the opportunity to meet many famous people. He had a close friendship with Yuri Nikulin and shared a special bond with Gennady Khazanov and Grigory Gorin, who were both colleagues at the Emergency Medical Services.

The death of Grigory Gorin weighs heavily on Igor's heart. He regrets not being able to convince him to go to the hospital. He says, "I cannot forgive myself for not putting him to sleep and forcefully taking him to the hospital that night."

Igor Elkin also discovered an interesting document in the archives that revealed that the famous actor and director Alexander Kalyagin was a medical assistant at the Fourth Substation of the Emergency Medical Services.

Regarding his relationship with Russian society as a Jew, Igor believes that it is important not to stand out and to live a modest life. He recalls the challenges he faced, such as being denied opportunities in academia and professional advancement due to his Jewish background. However, he believes that today, there is less anti-Semitism, especially among the Russian intelligentsia. He praises Moscow's mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, for his inclusive approach.

Reflecting on his career, Igor admits that he never expected to become the Chief Doctor of the Emergency Medical Services. He initially thought it would be a temporary position, but seven years have passed since his appointment. Throughout his career, he has held various roles within the organization, starting as a field doctor and eventually becoming the Chief Doctor. Despite the challenges he has faced, Igor remains dedicated to his beloved Emergency Medical Services and strives to make a significant impact in his role.