XVI CONGRESS OF WORLD FEDERATION OF UKRAINIAN MEDICAL SOCIETIES
The XVI Congress of World federation of Ukrainian medical societies (WFUMS) started its work on 22, August, 2015 on the eve of Independence Day in lecture hall of P.L. Shupyka NMAPE.
The president in WFUMS and Honorary president in all-Ukrainian society, academician in National academy of medical sciences of Ukraine Liubomyr Pyrig, member in Supervisory board of O.O. Bohomolets NMU in his report at plenary meeting under special name “Doctors-Ukrainians of the world, let be Ukrainians!” told about history for establishment of WFUMS, topics of congresses, which were held, presented the report about activity both as a president and further development of WFUMS.
The welcome speeches were made by President in all-Ukrainian medical society, deputy chairman in Committee on issues of health care at Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Oleh Musiy, rector in P.L. Shupyka NMAPE academician Yuriy Voronenko, Chairman in board of APO “Ukrainian league for development of palliative and hospice aid”, head at department of public health care management at National academy of state management at President of Ukraine Vasyl Kniazevych, Chairman in Ukrainian medical society in Germany Andrii Batrukh, Chairman in Ukrainian medical society in France Oleksandr Gomula, Chairman in Ukrainian medical society in Brazil Lauro-Bogodar Kuchynskyy.
At the request of colleagues-participants in the Congress I mention the main positions of my speech, made on behalf of our university community that worked at ground zero of establishment of Union of Ukrainian doctors and takes an active part in work of the Union now.
Among the tasks for AUMS (All-Ukrainian Medical Society) the task number 1 is “To assist to moral, cultural and national revival of Ukrainian medicine and people of Ukraine”.
It is difficult to name other European nation, who would suffer so much from ethnocide as Ukraine and how late in his history it received the state independence. As a result it is insufficiently known about Ukraine in general and about contribution of Ukrainian medical science into the world treasury.
Even the contribution of Ukrainian medical scientists and data about numerous broken fates of repressed people were not only concealed during the times of the USSR in order to fix “Little Russia” at us but now it is not sufficiently discussed by our community.
Hence, we have many problems – from feeling of “lesser value” by a part of medical community to low authority of Ukrainian medicine and medics in the society. The consequences from this situation are obvious. I will mention only two examples: the percentage of vaccinations that approaches to zero and non-acceptance of institute of family medicine in Ukrainian society.
On the eve of the 175th anniversary of our university, which we plan to celebrate at the end of October, the university academic community activates its activity as to return of facts and manes from the oblivion. I also hope that this idea will be supported by medical society.
The professors of our university two of three medics among 16 founders of Ukrainian scientific society (USS) in 1907, which was unique for establishment of free association of Ukrainian scientists pursuant to democratic self-governing principles using European experience, became the foundation for all-Ukrainian academy of sciences. Their names are the representative of social medicine O. Korchak-Chepurkivskyy and histologist O. Cherniakhivskyy, founder and chief editor of Ukrainian speaking collection of medical section at USS, compiler of the first terminological dictionaries. As I saw in the website of AUMS, the work on unification of Ukrainian speaking medical terminology is continued now in the sphere of cardiology. Namely O. Cherniakhivskyy was the organizer and the first chairman in union of Ukrainian doctors and one of organizers for establishment of Ukrainian people’s university with its medical faculty – first son of national higher education in 1918 in Kyiv. O. Cherniakhivskyy was repressed in 1930 in phantom “case about Union for liberation of Ukraine” (ULU) together with the wife – poetess L. Starytska and daughter. The daughter was shot in 1938; the wife was released with provisional term and was sent to c. Stalino (Donetsk) for 5 years. Soon O. Cherniakhivskyy died and his wife in 1941 at the age of 73 years was again arrested and sent for service of sentence to Kazakhstan. In the prison she wrote “Free Ukraine will rise from our dead bodies”. The woman died during the road, and her body was just thrown away from the train…
Professor-hygienist in the sphere of labor hygiene V. Pidgayetskyy – author of concept about developed of scientifically grounded methods for physical training and physical education in order to prolong the life of Ukrainians. In 1921 he started implementing this concept at newly established institute of physical culture. He was repressed under “case of USS” in 1930. In 1937 in the prison in Solovki he received the repeated hit sentence. On the building, where he lived in Kyiv, there is (at least there was) the memorial plate that Lenin’s brother stayed there…
In total more than 10 professors and assistants were repressed in fabricated “case of USS” in 1930, 3 of them were shot in 1937 in area Sandarmokh.
Professor Yevgen Cherniakhivskyy – vascular surgeon. In 1904 he made the operation on sewing the injury of the heart. Together with his pupil Yu. Voronyy, graduate from Kyiv medical institute (KMI), he started the experiments with transplantation of the kidney. In 1933 Voronyy for the first time in the world he made that operation at clinic in Kherson, when he worked as director in so-called “industrial medical institute”. Yevgen Cherniakhivskyy was dismissed in 1930 and lived in the oblivion. One more name. Under supervision of head at department of physiology at KMI, scientist in the sphere of electrophysiology, professor V. Chagovets, his pupil V. Pravdych-Neminskyy left behind Austrian Berger by 12 years in discovery of method for electroencephalography, having called the registered electrical activity of the brain as “electroencephalography”.
Fedir Bogatyrchuk – professor-roentgenologist, “Doctor Zhivago of Soviet chess”. Doctor in Sich Riflemen Corps, it is quite possible that he healed Andrii Melnyk from the typhus. Author of the first Ukrainian textbook in chess art, chairman in Federation of chess of Ukraine. His rating in 1927 – the 15th place in the world. He worked as a roentgenologist and during vacations he took part in chess tournaments. He resolved to win the future world champion Russian M. Botvynnyk that suffered from oppressions. In Kyiv, occupied by Germans, he was at the head of Red Cross Society, institute of experimental medicine, read the lectures in medical institute. In 1941 the institute renewed its work in Kyiv and the university community consisted of teachers and students, who were not evacuated. In 1942 the institute, named as “Polymed”, stopped its existences and German occupation power tried to remove the students to Germany. Before liberation of Kyiv by Soviet troops F. Bogatyrchuk immigrated to Prague, then to Canada, where he became the professor of medical university – Ottawa University.
Finally – the words by “saint doctor Feofil Gavrylovych Yanovskyy”, professor of university: “No matter what titles and degrees were awarded to me, the main thing is that I am a doctor, and only that is important”. We are proud of our doctors and medical scientists!
I am grateful for awarding with medal “25 years of Independence of Ukraine” by all-Ukrainian union “Country” at presentation of AUMS.
