Investing in the Serbian Armed Forces is an investment in the living quality of all citizens.

During the celebration of the Military Medical Academy Day and the 174th anniversary of the existence of this house, Eye bank was opened at the Military Medical Academy.

Defence Minister Aleksandar Vulin pointed out that the opening of Eye bank is a proof that investing in the Serbian Armed Forces, improving the quality of military healthcare is investing in the living quality of all citizens of our country.

- This is evidence that we are at the highest scientific and research level and we can share our knowledge with all the citizens of this country. This bank is good news, not only for military insurers, but for all others. The eye bank is a good news for overall health care and for overall medicine - said Minister Vulin, adding that this is another proof that investing in the Serbian Armed Forces means investing in the living quality of every citizen of Serbia.

According to him, the more advanced and better equipped Serbian Armed Forces lead to better living quality of every citizen of Serbia.

- The Serbian Armed Forces exist because of their citizens, and the military health care to protect the health of all our member staff, their families, and also the civilian population. At the Military Medical Academy, 20,000 surgical procedures are carried out each year, 30,000 people get hospitalized, 500,000 different specialist examinations are performed, three million diagnostic and laboratory procedures implemented - emphasized the Minister of Defence, reminding that the top quality of our experts is what distinguishes us from others.
Minister Vulin pointed out that sometimes equipment at the MMA is not the most modern in the world, but the quality of people working in the MMA is praiseworthy.

- That is why military health care is respected, because of people who know their job, who are great experts, but also people who love people, people who know how to help, and people who saved their lives in the worst wartime regardless of where the injured came from. They were able to help a wounded person who was not a member of our people or our Army. People who first of all showed that they are humane, capable and above all experts - said the Minister of Defense congratulating all employees the MMA Day, saying that this institution is a  pride of the defence system and the entire country, because in difficult times it has preserved the military health care.

Speaking of the importance of Eye bank, Colonel Prof. Miroslav Vukosavljevic, emphasized that its opening is the legacy for the future, not only for the Institution he is in charge of, but for the entire health care of the Republic of Serbia, and beyond.

- The eye bank is just the beginning of the creation of the tissue bank in which other transplantations will be performed, apart from eye procedures - said Colonel Prof. Dr. Miroslav Vukosavljevic, pointing out that in the future the MMA could have a skin bank, a bone bank, amniotic membranes, blood vessels bank and others.

According to him, the construction of Eye bank with all technical devices costs about 13 million dinars and medical equipment about 10 million dinars, so the total cost of construction, technical equipment and medical equipment totals about 23 million dinars. The final price will be known when the final report is received from the competent services. He also pointed out that this was a negligible figure in relation to the cost of transplantation of the cornea outside the country and the opportunities offered by Eye bank.

The newly opened Eye Bank will deal with the acquisition, storage, quality assessment, processing and distribution of parts of the eye for the transplantation to those people whose only hope to see again would be the transplantation of this tissue. By opening a surgically functional eye bank, the MMA will provide the implementation of clearly controlled and scientifically based cadaveric cornea tissue sampling, preparation, preservation, and transplantation for the purpose of treating, curing and rehabilitation of visual function in patients.

Talking about preventive free of charge examinations that were organized during the whole week on the occasion of the MMA Day, Vukosavljevic said that it was a campaign that attracted a large number of citizens and that in only half an hour all terms were full. He announced that the MMA is planning a similar campaign for the SAF Day, when also other clinics could open their doors for free of charge examinations for citizens.

At the ceremony, traditionally, the best organizational unit in the previous year was declared, and this time it was the Clinic for Cardiology and Emergency Internal Medicine. MMA Acting Head Colonel Vukosavljevic handed over a plaque to the Head of this Clinic, Colonel Prof. Dr. Slobodan Obradovic.

This year's winner of the "Dr. Vladan Djordjevic" medal, awarded since 2009, was a colonel retired Prof. Dr. Dragan Ignjatovic and Prof. Dr. Miljko Ristic. The best authors of the journal "Vojnosanitetski pregled" were Prof. Dr. Zeljka Tatomirovic and Prof. Dr. Mirjana Kendrisic, and the reviewer of the year was Colonel prof. Dr. Slobodan Obradovic.

The ceremony was attended by the Chief of General Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, General Ljubisa Dikovic, with members of the collegium, ministers in the government, Patriarch Irinej, representatives of state institutions, medical and scientific institutions, as well as numerous friends of that military medical institution.

As a part of the celebration of the MMA Day, the activities began with the reception of the former Heads of the Military Medical Academy, as well as with the laying of a wreath in front of the Outpatient Clinic.