The members of military health are the pride of the Armed Forces, and the pride of the nation which boasts the people it educated, the people it nurtured and the people who take care of it. Almost two centuries of the tradition that our military health records cannot say how many lives have been saved and how many times the humanity and knowledge overpowered wars and human urge and human desire to do evil and inflict pain – Minister of Defence Aleksandar Vulin said congratulating this holiday to the members of the Medical Service at today’s ceremony held at the Military Medical Academy.

- In these 178 years, no one could tell how many times our doctor did a feat which, perhaps, will remain unknown, but a feat that just one human being remembered or that just one human being defined. Never forget that you are the successors of those doctors who were capable even in defeat to take care of enemy soldier just like they would take care of themselves. You are the successors of those doctors who, during Albanian Golgotha, shared both medicine and a peace of bread with their soldiers and their people and with prisoners. You are the successors of those doctors about whom legends were told from Slivnička battle to the present day, and you are successors of those doctors who in times of war and peace were primarily human beings. Always and foremost human beings – Minister Vulin emphasised.

According to his words, a lot of evil and many lies were spread about this people and many times our people was talked about in a tongue of hatred and many times they spoke about this people in a way that somebody else’s truths became our truths.

- Many times lies were spread against this people, and we were many times accused of what we had not done, nor have thought of doing. And yet, never has it been said that a Serbian doctor has done something bad. Never. And even if that was the only thing that you did in these 178 years, that would deserve the everlasting gratitude of the nation – the Minister of Defence stated.

Minister Vulin stressed that the Military Health would continue developing and endeavours to make the services of the military health available in the future, primarily to the members of the Armed Forces, and also to the members of the entire security system, since the existing specificities of that system should be met by precisely those doctors.

- You know and understand them, and there is no one else that could so quickly and with such certainty react like you can, in the moments when science stops and the knowledge acquired at university cannot be easily applied. Only you can recognise a trauma and injury that has nowhere been described, to treat it, react swiftly, without fail while the one that you treat feels assured and confident because he is in hands of military doctors. And the very word, confidence, is the word that defines you; confidence that each patient feels when you tell him that he is about to go to a military hospital and be treated by a military doctor. Confidence and security that each family feels because it knows that they will receive the best possible care, because it knows that they will be taken care of by the best people, the best educated and the best trained, the most experienced, the bravest and the most self-sacrifying – Minister Vulin concluded adding that confidence is the word that defines military doctors and the word which describes them.

Addressing the gathered members of Military Medical Service, Minister Vulin said that it was up to us to be grateful and to ask them not to change more than these times, which were not good, could change them and to ask them to remain as they were, and worthy of the memory of those who walked before them.

Deputy Head of Military Health Department Colonel Dr Uglješa Jovičić reminded the present about the history of the Military Medical Service and the doctors who to a large degree had contributed its development and then he presented the future plans as well as new military medical centres that are under the umbrella of that Department.

- Today when we mark 178 years of military health and the Day of Medical Service, we do have a tradition that strongly obliges us and makes us proud to be the members of the Military Medical Service, to wear the uniform and to help people. Immense experience behind us and our results have obliged us, and that is why we transfer it to young cadets and doctors to continue and advance what we have tried to do and preserve – Colonel Jovičić said adding that the members of the Military Medical Service would try in the future as well to be worthy of the confidence given by their profession and the uniform which they proudly wear.

Traditionally, sixth year in a row the Military Health Department gives recognitions for the author’s feat of the year in the field of medical science, and this year’s laureates are Prof Dr Gordana Dedić from Psychiatry Clinic and Head Doctor Colonel Milivoje Panić for the monograph “Suicide in Military Environment” to whom Colonel Jovičić conferred the recognitions at today’s ceremony.

The Day of Military Medical Service is marked in memory of 30th July 1839 when in line with the Decree of Government, Dr Emerich Lindenmayer became the first lawful and appointed by decree Head of Serbian Military Service.

The ceremony was attended by the Minister of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Zoran Đorđević, Chief of General Staff of Serbian Armed Forces General Ljubiša Diković with the members of the Board, State Secretaries in the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs, Acting Head of the MMA Colonel Dr Miroslav Vukosavljević, representatives of the Ministry of Defence and Serbian Armed Forces, numerous guests, associates and employees of the Military Health.