Rossiiskaya Gazeta: “Century-long life”
Front-line physicians receive government awards.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin presented awards to the country's best doctors yesterday. The ceremony was held at the Moscow International House of Music. Although the audience had taken part in many sold-out events and standing ovations, it felt special pride on Monday for the award winners who rose to the podium, whose names have gone down in the annals of history.
However, Putin was the first to be welcomed by the medical elite. The country's best doctors rose to their feet to greet the prime minister.
Putin did not leave the compliment unanswered, stating: "Russian medicine has always been known for its traditions, selfless devotion, and sincere service to society. And this is precisely why doctors have always enjoyed our people's sincere esteem and respect."
The Best Doctor of the Year contest is being held for the ninth time, Tatyana Golikova, the health minister and the host of the ceremony, told the audience. She added that the number of award categories was increased to 30. In addition to cash prizes, winners receive statuettes of Hygiea, the goddess of medicine. It is a "Medical Oscar" of sorts, the organisers said. The cash prize is substantial. Last year, the government created a special prize for medical service veterans of the Great Patriotic War. The first-place winner receives 500,000 roubles, and the second- and third-place winners receive 330,000 and 200,000 roubles, respectively.
As the elderly medics were helped to the stage, the massive Svetlanov Hall seemed to experience something entirely new. Together, officials, doctors and journalists stood up to greet the veterans with a heartfelt ovation. The elderly doctors were true professionals full of memorable stories.
Alexander Shapovalov, who turns 97 this year, took physiology lessons from the academician Ivan Pavlov. In 1939, as part of a mobile medical group, he fought at Khalkhyn Goll in Mongolia and was personally awarded by Marshal Zhukov. Shapovalov served all through the Great Patriotic War, took part in the Battle of Stalingrad, and until recently worked as a sports doctor for the Football Club Spartak.
Irina Vinogradova is just two years younger than Shapovalov, and she still works at the Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute. During the Great Patriotic War, she served at a front-line evacuation hospital and then became the head of its surgical department. In 1945, she was awarded the medal, "Victory over Germany in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." As Golikova retold Vinogradova's war-time stories, the audience stood silently, only to burst into rapturous applause after each story.
The third-place winner, Veniamin Volkov, also served through the entire war. He has also had a planet named after him. Volkov has received both national and international awards, including the silver Marie Curie medal and the Da Vinci Diamond.
"I want to remember all those who fought from Stalingrad to Vienna," Volkov said. As an ophthalmologist, he is concerned with the state of the Fyodorov Microsurgery Centre. This "achievement of socialism" should be protected by all means, Volkov said.
"We will try to help the centre," Putin said. "But this is far from a socialist way of organising health care," he added jokingly.
However, the doctors, who had lived most of their lives in the Soviet Union, thought otherwise. They have different beliefs and values, and view the world differently. But be that as it may, the older generation and today's officials were united in acknowledging the medical profession's special importance in Russia.
Apropos
Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov has taken over from Putin the role of chairman of the Council of General and Chief Designers. The council offers advice on the development of industries and innovation, science and technology policy, as well as the use of industrial scientific and technological capacity for national economic development.
Sidibe Pierre
