Five Years of NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine
Szöveg: Szabolcs Nyulas | 2014. november 30. 11:26The NATO Centre of Excellence for Military Medicine (NATO MILMED COE) has been operating in Budapest for five years now. Minister of Defence Csaba Hende and MILMED COE Director Brig.-Gen. Stefan Kowitz delivered speeches during a ceremony held in the building of Ludovika Campus, on Tuesday, November 25, the anniversary of the establishment of the institution.
In his speech, Minister Hende emphasized that with this Centre of Excellence, Hungary is not simply a member of NATO but also actively participates in its development. He pointed out that thousands of people are assisting the activities of the institution, whose fundamental goal is the development of doctrines and standardized methods in the field of military medicine.
Minister Hende also noted that since its accession 15 years ago, Hungary has been assuming an important role in NATO. “Accredited by the Alliance in October 2009, the NATO MILMED COE in Budapest is the first international military institution in Hungary", he added.
Stefan Kowitz said that the COE is a very important “key institution" in NATO, because it can be of use not only in wartime but also in disasters and potential epidemics. “The NATO MILMED COE is an excellent example of NATO’S Smart Defence initiative", he added.
Talking about the organization, the brigadier-general said that by sharing the medical lessons learned, the MILMED COE helps the Deployment Health Surveillance capability for forces stationed abroad and the efficient treatment of injuries.
The NATO MILMED COE currently has eight member nations – Hungary as a founding framework nation, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Romania. It has been operating in Budapest since 2009.
Photo: László Tóth
