“When, instead of prolonging life, we prolong death, patients, families, and physicians have the opportunity to gather their strength and say goodbye.”
Dr Arnoldo Kraus
Dr Kraus recently passed away1, a loss that fills us with sorrow and nostalgia. Fortunately, his work, ideas, and reflections remain for all of us to learn from. Trained in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology, he was a prolific author on ethics, bioethics, and humanism (Figure 1).
Figure 1. Dr. Arnoldo Kraus (1951-2025) (taken from La Razón1).
The first time I had the opportunity to hear one of his lectures was in 1993 at what was then Instituto Nacional de Nutrición Salvador Zubirán. Dr. Kraus was a member of the institutional Bioethics Committee and shared foundational concepts of this discipline.
At that time, although the importance of bioethics was increasingly recognized, its core principles were still largely absent from most medical schools and faculties.
As a descendant of a family that survived the Holocaust, he felt a moral obligation to speak out against injustice and authoritarianism.
I had the privilege of interacting with him in both hospital and academic settings. I consistently followed his publications in the editorial and journalistic spheres.
He always treated me with courtesy and kindness and frequently invited me to his book presentations, which I attended with great pleasure.
He played an important role in the Permanent Seminar on Bioethics at the School of Medicine of the National Autonomous University of Mexico.
He also participated in the activities of the Institutional Bioethics Committee at Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas (INER), where he maintained close friendships with several of its members.
Dr Kraus was a steadfast advocate for vulnerable populations, euthanasia, human rights, and the essential role of communication between physicians and patients.
He was consistently recognized and deeply appreciated by his colleagues and patients.
We wish our esteemed teacher, Arnoldo, eternal rest.
