The Alternate Minister of National Defence Dimitris Vitsas, on Thursday November 3rd 2016 announced the commencement of the works of the 26th Armed Forces Medical Conference, which is held in Thessaloniki from November 3rd to November 5th 2016.
The Armed Forces Medical Conference is held every two years, with the purpose of presenting the scientific and social work of the Medical Corps of the Armed Forces. This work is carried out throughout the Hellenic territory by officers of all specialties (Medical Doctors, Nurses, Dentists, Pharmacists, Vets, Psychologists) and monitors the progress and the achievements of health sciences.
The Alternate Minister of National Defence delivered the following address:
“Dear Participants,
I am particularly pleased by the fact that I am given the opportunity to announce today the commencement of the 26th Armed Forces Medical Conference.
A conference that constitutes the greatest scientific event of the Medical Corps of the Armed Forces and which is permanently based in Thessaloniki.
A multi-disciplinary conference, characterized by extroversion, reflected in the number of participations, as well as in the opening that has been made to the academic world, thus demonstrating the high scientific prestige of the entire organization.
Through the active participation of all participants, the enormous volume of information and their new knowledge is being exploited that along with the personal experience gained by each one of you, leads to actual knowledge.
Besides, the title of the Conference “Modern Approaches – Future Challenges” is a foretaste of what lies ahead and of the range of activities performed by the Medical Corps of the Armed Forces.
While reading the programme of this year’s conference, we can see the scientific effort made by the staff of the Medical Corps of the Armed Forces.
Furthermore, the fields in which the Medical Corps is involved, and mainly the versatile and irreplaceable work that is offered, can be known. This work is being provided to officers of the Armed Forces on active duty and retired, their family members, the civilian personnel, but also to all our fellow citizens, particularly to those who are in great need. You carry out your mission with exceptional success, despite the difficulties that you are facing, often surpassing yourselves and your limits.
As I have seen myself while visiting Army Hospitals and Medical Corps Units, you provide a high-level healthcare to all persons entitled to hospital treatment. By means of the operation of the existing structures of provision of health services, their upgrade, wherever required, and the creation of new ones, such as the Joint Medically Assisted Reproduction Unit at the Athens Naval Hospital, but also through the promotion of jointness and interoperability, health services are getting updated and become more qualitative for the wider society.
Besides, the Medical Corps of the Armed Forces is in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other relevant public health authorities.
The MoD assists with the provision of health services by Medical Officers and Solders in regional Hospitals, Health Centers of the National Health System. As of February 2016, we provide the opportunity to Medical Soldiers to fulfill their mandatory rural service at the same time as their military service, provided our operational needs allow so.
A clear example is the staffing of the Regional Clinic at the country’s westernmost point, which covers the needs of the residents in Othonoi.
Moreover, everybody is aware of our assistance with the provision of aerial resources for aeromedical evacuations, the blood donations from volunteer officers and soldiers.
The medical personnel of the Armed Forces also participates actively in the fight against addictions, upon the implementation of the Memorandum of Cooperation concluded with the Ministry of Health, and cooperates with the National Health Operations Center and the Center for Disease Prevention and Control for dealing with health issues of wide interest.
I would like to conclude my said references to our cooperation with the Ministry of Health as follows: The completion of the procedures for the recruitment of auxiliary medical personnel is in progress, for the purpose of enforcing the army hospitals. And by learning our lessons from the malfunctions of the past, the measure was extended, so that it would henceforward also involve medical doctors, who shall cover the urgent needs of the army hospitals.
The social contribution of the Medical Corps is one of the fields where you have demostrated the human dimension of the Armed Forces and you have connected with the society, thus creating a climate of trust and security. All citizens have now access to the outpatients’ clinics of the army hospitals and a number of standard and intensive care beds are being provided on a daily basis in the National Health System.
In addition, special diagnostic tests and therapeutic interventions are performed at certain specialized laboratories and centers of the Army Hospitals. Finally, residents in outermost islands may be treated in all three Army Hospitals in Athens.
In the frame of the Preventive Medicine Programme, the presence of medical and nursing staff from all branches of the Armed Forces is active in all outermost and island areas of Greece. By means of all these missions, including also the Preventive Medicine Programme of Increased Potential through the use of the Hellenic Navy HS “PROMETHEUS”, with increased and improved operational targeting, the Greeks living in outermost areas may have access to upgraded health services. The success of the programme is great; its acceptance from the residents of all regional areas is given and your assistance is active and essential.
The humanitarian dimension of our actions is also recognized by the participation of the Armed Forces in the refugee question. It constitutes a role that has been assigned to you and you play conscientioutly, as required by your scientific ethics and your love for your fellow human beings.
On this opportunity, I would like to thank you once again for the extent of your altruistic offer.
Concluding, I would like to underline that it is a great honor for me to inaugurate the works of the 26th Armed Forces Medical Conference, which coincides in time with three anniversaries:
90 years as of the establishment of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki;
90 years as of the establishment of the first Army Medical School;
70 years as of the establishment of the Nursing Officers School.
Almost a century has passed of a shared path of both establishments in Thessaloniki; a symbolism that incorporates at the same time the substance of the anniversary and historical event, the proof of the shared path, the ceaseless synchronization of the country’s Armed Forces with the Society, the scientific community of Greece.
The above synchronization is also implied by the 70 years as of the establishment of the Nursing Officers School. It was one of the first nursing schools in the Hellenic territory, until its final cooperation with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, in accordance with the standards of operation of the Military School of Combat Support Officers as regards the Artistotle University of Thessaloniki.
Hence, being aware of the considerable weight that this circumstance imposes, please allow me to announce the opening of the 26th Armed Forces Medical Conference. Thank you and good luck!”.
