01.11.2021.
Minister Stefanović attends ceremony marking 170th anniversary of Military Veterinary Service
Today, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence, Nebojša Stefanović, PhD, attended the ceremony marking the Military Veterinary Service Day at the Military Medical Academy. Congratulating military veterinarians on the 170th anniversary of their service, Minister Stefanović thanked them for their dedicated work and said that the members of this honourable profession have shown in a number of ways how much our country, armed forces and people need them.
- I would like to thank all the people who practise this very important profession for us for their considerable effort and hard work in the previous period. I want you to last, because our country, our armed forces and our people need you - said Minister Stefanović, emphasizing that being an officer and a veterinarian at the same time is a special honour.He pointed out that, having visited numerous militaries in the region and the world, he saw that much more attention is paid today to the use of dogs and other animals in performing tasks, and that the role of military veterinarians in Serbia and the world is very important.
- I would also like to point out that these people did not only engage in their principal occupation, but went wherever needed. Our military veterinarians were on the front line, helping their fellow doctors even during the Covid-19 epidemic. Their colleagues working at the Military Medical Academy and everyone else tackling Covid-19 knows that. They did not step aside, but helped set up Covid hospitals, from hygiene practices to food, organization of visits, etc. - said Minister Stefanović.
Deputy Head of the Military Health Department, Colonel Radivoje Anđelković, MD, reminded the audience of the history of the Military Veterinary Service and said that technical and technological modernization is the goal for the future.- We are facing years of hybrid risks, challenges and threats. Covid-19 is one such hybrid threat that is destroying every aspect of the existence of modern society. Working in the veterinary service has never been easy, but we have always moved forward. That is why today we do not view problems at work as insurmountable obstacles that could stop our development, we view them as challenges that can be addressed leading to progress and well-being of our homeland - Colonel Anđelković pointed out.
Colonel Anđelković presented certificates of appreciation to individuals and institutions that contributed to the progress of the veterinary service in the armed forces.
On behalf of the Academy of Veterinary Medicine, Serbian Veterinary Medical Association, Dr. Zoran Rašić addressed the audience, saying that in order to meet major goals, it is necessary to have people who are both trained in their professional fields and possess military skills, so that they are able to make proper and timely decisions.- Indebted to our glorious and esteemed colleagues and heroes from the previous 170 years, we are obliged to continue to look far into the past, in order to predict and see into the future as best and furthest as we can - said Dr. Rašić.
