The Professor left us on February 19, 1969. A man, a professional, a benefactor, and an enlightened mind who remains a beacon for anyone sailing the world’s seas in need of medical assistance. Born in Trapani on September 11, 1897, Guido Guida graduated from the University of Rome in 1922, later becoming an assistant in the Otorhinolaryngology department of the University Medical Center in Rome. In 1935, with the fundamental support of Guglielmo Marconi, he founded the C.I.R.M. (International Radio Medical Center).
The goal was to provide medical assistance via radio to merchant ships without a doctor on board. An objective that places our Center among the world’s great humanitarian organizations. In this meritorious and innovative work, he was assisted, without any remuneration, by a large group of highly qualified Italian clinicians. For nearly twenty years, Professor Guida sustained this endeavor, also with the collaboration of his wife Valentina, but always without receiving public or private financial aid. It was only in the final years of his activity that the Italian Government secured a financial contribution for the Center.
Guida was a visionary and an enthusiast, a man endowed with profound humanity—qualities that allowed him to give life to the International Radio Medical Center, which for 91 years has provided free medical assistance, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to all men and women of any nationality at sea in need of medical care. A ship far from land is, perhaps, the most isolated place in the world. This isolation becomes dramatic when there is a sick person on board. Thanks to the radio then, and satellite systems today, those in need have a doctor at their disposal to treat them, even from a distance. Assisting remote patients is a complex but miraculous mission.
The International Radio Medical Center (C.I.R.M.), the creation of Guido Guida, continues to offer the necessary medical assistance to the sick and injured on ships or aircraft through telemedicine and the most innovative technologies at the service of those at sea. This stands as a testament to the fact that great ideas outlive their creators and bring long-term benefits. On the anniversary of Guido Guida’s death, we remember him with affection for all the good he did and the benefits his realized ideas continue to provide. It is a gratitude that extends beyond the vast reaches of the seas and skies.
Thank you, Professor. You will always be remembered with immense gratitude !