The medical community mourns the loss of Dr. Jannicke Mellin-Olsen, a global leader in anaesthesiology and patient safety, who passed away suddenly at her home near Oslo.
Dr. Mellin-Olsen, known for her pioneering work in anaesthesia safety, dedicated over 40 years to improving healthcare quality worldwide. A graduate of the University of Trondheim (1982), she broke barriers as Norway’s first female doctor to serve in the military, later joining the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as a Senior Medical Officer. Her humanitarian work extended to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and air ambulance services, shaping remote medical care globally.
Her landmark contributions include co-authoring the 2010 Helsinki Declaration on Patient Safety in Anaesthesiology, leading Norway’s National Commission of Inquiry into Health & Care Services (UKOM), and serving as the first non-American board member of the Patient Safety Movement Foundation. She also championed simple yet effective patient safety measures, such as the “orange chair” initiative, fostering better communication in hospitals.
Recognized for her outstanding leadership, Dr. Mellin-Olsen held key roles in the Norwegian Society of Anaesthesiology, the European Board of Anaesthesiology, and the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA), where she served as president from 2018 to 2020. In 2024, she delivered the Harold Griffith Lecture at the 18th World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in Singapore, receiving a standing ovation.
Her contributions earned her Norway’s highest civilian honor, Knight 1st Class of The Royal Order of St. Olav, and the WFSA Distinguished Service Award.
