Panevėžys city mayor Rytis Račkauskas attended a conference to unveil a memorial plaque to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of public figure and doctor Shakhnel Avrahom Meir. The project was financed by the Goodwill Fund and was supported by the Panevėžys Jewish Community and the municipality.

“The great contribution made by Dr. Meir to the life of the city is undisputed among residents. The doctor set up a hospital, clinics for children and adults and a tuberculosis dispensary. It is difficult to list all his accomplishments. But one must be mentioned: his concern for people. Meir dedicated himself to children from poor families and never discriminated against patients based on wealth or ethnicity. To him they were all the same, they were all important to him. The 150th anniversary of his birth compels us to remember and commemorate this notable person. I sincerely thank the organizers of this event for this initiative,” mayor Račkauskas told the audience.

Meir was born in Panevėžys. After completing gymnasium he studied medicine at Moscow University. He began his medical practice in the Chernigov guberniya in the Ukraine. From 1891 onwards he practiced medicine in Lithuania, first in Pasvalys, then in Panevėžys beginning in 1914. Selfless, without regard to his own energy and time, Meir treated everyone who needed help. He kept his medical knowledge up to date by practicing at clinics abroad and applied the latest methods in his practice. He was a great organizer of health care initiatives and an active member of the community. It was due to his efforts that walk-in clinics for children and adults were established in Panevėžys in 1922. These were mainly intended for children from poorer families.

Meir participated in the establishment of a local branch of the Association for Fighting Tuberculosis and a tuberculosis dispensary. He was head of the Association of Doctors of Panevėžys, established the Women’s Welfare Committee and supported the establishment of a scheme for subsidized medicines.

From the Panevėžys Jewish Community webpage.