02.03.2009.

165 years of the Military Medical Academy

The jubilee occasioned by 165 years of the Military Medical Academy was marked by a ceremonious academy in the National Theater in Belgrade. The academy was attended by the Chairperson of the National Assembly Slavica Djukic-Dejanovic, Defense Minister Dragan Sutanovac and the members of the government, the Chief of SAF GS LTG Miloje Miletic as well as the representatives of MoD and SAF, of military diplomatic corps, of scientific and research institutions, religious communities and of public and cultural life, and many other guests.

In his welcome address, expressing his satisfaction to be the one who on behalf of the Ministry of Defense and MoD, the Minister of Defense Dragan Sutanovac reminded that the previous year had been very hard for the system of defense, yet the focal activities were mainly reform-related with positive results achieved in almost all segments.

- Military healthcare represents an important part of the defense system reforms, with MMA as its pillar. Reforms for MMA mean besides optimal, organizational and functional structuring as well as investing in infrastructure, technical equipping, procurement of modern sanitary equipment, medical material and medicines. We are aware that if we want to have a modern hospital, we have to invest both in our personnel as well as into the military equipment, and when it comes to these investments this year has been very successful in only a year. As Sutanovac stressed, since MMA became an integral part of the health care system, the number of medical examinations, of successful treatments and revenue has been confirmed by signing an agreement with the Republic Medical Insurance Institute which made a great step forward thus placing itself not only to the disposal of the army but also at the disposal of all Serbian citizens.

The Minister said that the same principle o deployment functions for deployment of military hospitals in Nis and Novi Sad in order to offer the same range of services offered to Belgrade citizens.

Sutanovac also made a point of mentioning that besides remarkable results in the field of health care the Military Medical Academy had intensified in the previous year with various institutions of China, Russia, USA, Norway, Italy and Germany and many other countries, thus raising the reputation not only of the army but of our country as well.
At the exercise “Safe Road 08”, MMA confirmed the same high level of professional readiness and preparedness to respond in crisis situations caused by mass disasters, while being awarded an international certificate for participation in international peace keeping operations.

- In cooperation with the Ministry of Defense of the Kingdom of Norway, we have just finished preparation for a medical team to take part in peacekeeping operations and we are waiting for the National Assembly’s decision, which would approve their deployment. By investing in knowledge, education and advancing our personnel for the needs of the defense system and Serbia’s defense system and obvious scientific achievements, the Military Medical Academy has given an obvious contribution to the educational and research work of the defense system thus creating conditions to integrate it into the registry of science-, underlined minister Sutanovac.

- MMA has gained repute, and maintained it, thus obligating MoD as well as the state to keep supporting its development in order to make it a brand name recognizable for its services. This brand be a symbol of modern Serbia which contributed to international integrations we all strive after placing itself in the service of both citizens in our country and beyond.

The head of the MMA Major General Miodrag Jevtic, PhD in his address pointed out the results which marked the work of the Military Medical Academy in the last year.

- We have little more than 2500 people working at MMA ready to stand as a pillar to the defense system and the health care of Serbia with their hard work, said Jevtic, reminding that in the last year we had had more than 550000 patients admitted for examinations, 38000 patients were treated, and a total of 23000 operations were conducted along with 3.5 million of diagnostic procedures.

General Jevtic also made a point of stressing that the top achievements made buy MMA rank this institution as one of top European medical standards. A large number of diagnostic procedures has been introduced with therapeutic and operational methods in treating patients.

-Strategically we are committed to strengthening our expert and scientific potential and to promote cooperation with clinical centers and national schools. Our journal “Military medical review” has been integrated into the list of the most prestigious world journals, General Jevtic pointed out.

Reminding the present of the international cooperation, General Jevtic spoke of the “Safe Road 09” exercise, mentioning the fact that MMA received the certificate for equal participation in peacekeeping operations. The exercise was attended by observers from 12 countries. Cooperation with Norway, Czech Republic and China was the most intensive.

General Jevtic pointed out that after two years of intensive work, international certificates according to ISO standards were awarded to MMA for is overall work.

-We are currently working on integrating MMA into the academic space of our country since we have 115 professors and 46 assistant professors which makes one of our most valuable resources. We have prepared everything necessary for accreditation of our study programs at all three levels of university education, stated Jevtic announcing further activities which would focus on strengthening military and public healthcare in Serbia.

- There is a time of action before us. Someone might say that the circumstances may not be favourable, but we know our direction. It is our intention, and obligation to pursue this path in memory of all those who built the Military medical Academy and to our posterity to which we hope to leave this legacy of military medicine.

Art ensembles “Obilic”, “Branko Krsmanovic”, Carolija children’s choir and artists Biljana Krstic, Jadranka Jovanovic, Nada Blam, Nebojsa Kundacina and Lepomir Ivkovic took part in the program..

furthermore, new doctors were promoted at the ceremonious session of the MMA board of researchers.

This was also an opportunity for the best students in 94th class of Reserve Officers of the Military Medical Service, while the Urgency Intern Clinic was declared as the best one.

On this occasion, the bust of Vladan Djordjevic, the father of surgery in Serbia, was revealed.