• Source: Doug Kennedy (public servant)

Douglas Peter Kennedy (19 May 1915 – 11 December 1972) was a New Zealand doctor and public servant. He was Director-General of Health (i.e. the chief executive of the health service) until his sudden death.




Biography






= Early life

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Kennedy was born in Christchurch on 19 May 1915. His father was Peter Kennedy. He was educated at St Andrew's College. He attended Canterbury College where he gained a Bachelor of Medicine, the University of Otago where he attained a Bachelor of Surgery. During World War II he served as a reserve Colonel in the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps. In 1947 he obtained a diploma of public health from London University.




= Career

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In 1946 Kennedy joined the Department of Health and held medical officer posts in several South Island towns and cities for the next six years. From 1952 to 1955 Kennedy was Medical Officer of Health in Christchurch. He was then Assistant and Deputy Director of Public Health between 1957 to 1960 and later New Zealand's Director of Public Health from 1960 to 1964. In 1965 his career culminated in becoming Director-General of Health, succeeding Harold Turbott. As Director-General he instigated a new system of nurse education, which was praised by the Nurses Association.
Kennedy was involved in numerous boards and committees in the health sphere. He was chief cadet officer of the St John Ambulance Brigade and held senior posts in both the Red Cross Society and Royal Society of Health. From 1960 to 1965 he was a member of the Consumer Council from 1960 to 1965, chairman of the Hospital Worts Committee and the Hospital Advisory Council, chairman of the Medical Research Council, and deputy chairman of the Board of Health, the deputy chairman of the Agricultural Chemicals Board until 1965, a member of the New Zealand Milk Board Pollution Advisory Council and a member of the New Zealand Medical Council.
Kennedy was known on the international stage, representing New Zealand at world health assemblies and was elected to the executive board of the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1966. He was a member of the WHO expert committee on insecticides, the WHO expert advisory panel on public health administration, a joint expert committee of the WHO and International Labour Organization (ILO) on occupational health as well as the ILO panel of consultants on safety and health in the agricultural industry. In 1961 he led New Zealand's delegation to the United Nations' convention on narcotics held in New York City. In 1964 he was elected the vice-chairman of the WHO regional committee's meeting in Manila.




= Family and death

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Kennedy married Mavis Dreaver, the daugher of J. A. Dreaver, in 1946. They were to have one son and one daughter.
On 11 December 1972 Kennedy suddenly collapsed at his Wellington home of a heart attack and died soon after in hospital, aged 57. He was at work earlier that day, showing no signs of ill-health. Kennedy was survived by his wife, son and daughter. He was cremated and his ashes interred at the Karori Crematorium.




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