KATERYNA AMOSOVA: “IT WAS THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF NMU WHEN THE “OPEN PLATFORM” WAS CREATED

On February 28, 2014 at 16 o’clock all interested persons from the students, interns, clinical ordinators, graduate students, heads of structural units, heads of departments and professors gathered in the assembly hall of physical and chemical building for 700 places to discuss the reasons for protests at the NMU and the ways of the restoration of mutual trust and partnership. The Regulations of meting stipulated three hour work with speeches up to 5 minutes.

The meeting lasted for more than three hours. And it began with a moment of silence and Panakhyda for “Heavenly Hundred”, and then all the present performed State Anthem alive. It was true enough heavy note for a frank conversation.

At the presidium the Acting Rector of O.O. Bohomolets National Medical University, the Corresponding Member of NAMS of Ukraine, Professor Kateryna M. Amosova, the Professor of the Pathophysiology Department of NMU, Victor Ev. Dosenko, the Member of the O. Kisel Students’ Scientific Society, the student of the 6 th yar of study, Volodymyr Lykhodiyevskyi and the member of the initiative group, student of 5th year of study, Vasil Hilyuk.

All those who came to speak were united by anxiety for the fate of the University. Each of the speakers (and there were many those wishing to get the microphone!) – somebody calmly and deliberately, somebody in extremely emotional way, somebody indignantly and somebody with humor tried to convey their opinions. There was the time when dialogue started to get into a monologue of single party, and then after the open voting the several part of the audience left the debating chamber. Nevertheless polemical dialogue took place.

Professor K.M. Amosova who went to hard fate to preside at this meeting, highlighted that previously according to the participants’ decision there wasn’t a purpose to structure the topics for discussion and adoption of a decision. It was the meeting for dialogue with emphasis on the opinion of students. The university can not exist only for students or only for teachers, it is a common educational collaboration partnership; there is a disrespect which has actually appeared expressed both by students to teachers and by the teachers to students and it is necessary to make all possible steps to restore mutual trust and the normal functioning of the institution.

Prof. V. Ye. Dosenko outlined a certain program in his remarks: that is all the students having failed the examination session are needed to give the chance for attending the previous course at their own expense (the so-called “Antydebil Program” (Anti-moron Program ); in order to stop bribery it is required to pay decent salaries to professors; that it is necessary to developing science and raise the funds for financing conducting dissertation research works; that students are required to become education quality controllers. The main suggestions given by V. Ye. Dosenko consisted in returning to Charter of 1841 (to elect the board of directors and which would have hired a rector – a professional manager and controlled his activities) as well as admission of all the staff members of the University to take part in elections of rector.

V. Valentyna Gilyuk, student focused the attention of listeners that everyone became witnesses of the unprecedented case – rally of students, requirements to impeach the leader in connection with expressing distrust to him and the corresponding order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine of this. The speaker promised the maximum level of honesty and effectiveness of the Commission which was working at the University at these days and the member of which he was

Student V. Lykhodiyevskyi urged to comply with European Law and openness, stressing that SNT is an open self-governing organization and in his turn he proposed the initiating group to provide a list of all its members for the transparent and open future cooperation.

V. Aristov, an independent public figure, graduate of the National Medical University in 2005 described himself as a member of the Medicine Lustration Committee , declared that its goal is the right to delegate the right to vote to everybody, proposed to elect 6 persons from the students community to represent their interests in all the University body, in order to disassemble the authoritarian system, to change the Charter and create conditions for dialogue.

 There was number of speakers and here are some striking statements:

Asist. O.M. Khizhniak: ” We are not extremists, we demand changes because everyone is just boiling over”.

Prof. F.S. Gloomcher: “We are talking about the students and professors, but there is the third party that is the patient. And there are his primary interests that this educational institution has to release qualified doctors who would not have had repeated courses in education”.

Prof. V. Ye. Dosenko: “Students have started to feel as the masters of the University”.

V. Aristov: “Our mission is to restore the power of higher sense”.

 Stud. V. Lykhodiyevsky noted: “Please unveil your names, we are to know whom we’re talking to”.

Prof. V.G. Maidannyk said: “It is impossible to allow one lawlessness to be replaced by another one.”

Prof. S. D. Maksimenko explained: “The thing is not in that who is Acting Rector, but there is not available the commission’s decision yet”.

Prof. К.М. Amosova said: “I feel the responsibility bifore myself and our University”.

Prof. O.P. Volosovets as a representative of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine assured that in the near future we are planning a meeting of the newly-elected Minister of Health of Ukraine of the Cabinet of Ministers of popular trust O.S. Musii with the professors K.M. Amosova and V. Ye. Dosenko.

 The long difficult conversation ended. The participants of the meeting came to the conclusion that the dialogue should be continued after the end of the work of the commission of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on complex auditing the University in all areas of its activity which will operate till 14th of March and providing the decision of the said commission to the Ministry of Health of Ukraine on 17th of March, 2014.