29.07.2011

Marking the day of the Military Medical Service

The main ceremony which marked the 30th July - Day of the Military Medical Services was held today at the Military Hospital in Nis. On that occasion, a digital mammography scanner was launched, the donation of the EU Delegation in Serbia. Mammography was put into operation by the State Secretary of Defense Zoran Vesic, with the ceremony also attended by the Chief of the Health Department of Material Resources Sector of the Ministry of Defense Brigadier General doc. Veljko Todorovic, Chief of the Military Medical Academy Col. prof. Dr. Marjan Novakovic, directors of military medical centers in Nis, Novi Sad and Belgrade, representatives of military and civilian health care institutions, deans of medical schools in Serbia, as well as veterans of military health care.

"In the last three years significantly more money has been invested into the Nis military hospital than in the past three decades, and this digital mammography is the logical continuation after the recent commissioning of multi slice scanner. We all know what importance of the device is as it is irreplaceable in the process of screening of breast cancer that is most common in the female population and is one of the most common cancers. The purchase of this device, we have achieved the European standard when it comes to the number of mammography that one country should have, but it is necessary to raise people’s awareness for early detection of cancer. I hope that this will come in proper time, "said Secretary of State Vesic at the ceremony announcing that the renovation of hospital rooms is expected by the end of the year.

Vesic also expressed his deep gratitude to the Delegation of the European Union in Serbia, which donated the device, which will be used for both military and for civilian insurance holders.

Following the ceremony, in the Army House in Nis, on occasion of today's holiday, the exhibition "History of the Serbian Military Medical Services was organized which tells of the history of the military medical service in Serbia.

On this occasion, Brigadier General doc. Veljko Todorovic said that this was a unique opportunity to remember all those who built their knowledge into the foundations of the Serbian Military Medical Services.

Marking the Day of the military medical services is linked to the 30th July 1839 when this service was established by the Constitution of the Principality of Serbia and the Regulation on military garrisons, appointing Dr. Emmerich Lindenmyer as the first staff doctor

Military Health Service is now a modern and functionally organized service divided into three levels primary (medical departments in the Serbian Army units), secondary (Nis military hospital, military medical center institutions and Belgrade Military Medical Center in Novi Sad) and the Military Medical Academy as the main clinic.

To mark the Day of the Serbian Armed Forces Medical Services, within the Military Hospital Nis wreaths were laid at the monument erected in memory of the doctors, patients, and soldiers who perished in a typhoid epidemic 1914-1915. With military honors, wreaths were laid by Brigadier General Veljko Todorovic, Col. prof. Dr. Marjan Novakovic and head of the Military Hospital in Nis Col. Ratomir Vitas.