Forensic Medicine and Deontology department celebrated its 100 years

The anniversary celebration was attended by the rector of the Medical University- Sofia Prof. Victor Zlatkov, the Honorary Rector Academician Vladimir Ovcharov, the Deputy Rector Professor Radomir Ugrinov, Deputy Deans of the Medical Faculty Prof. Silvi Georgiev and Assoc.Prof.Dimitar Bulanov, the executive director of the Alexandrovska Hospital, Assoc. Prof. Kostadin Angelov, the Director of the Metropolitan Directorate of Internal Affairs of Ministry of Internal Affairs Georgi Hadzhiev, the President of the Sofia Regional Court Alexander Angelov, many medics from Sofia and the country. The Department of Forensic Medicine is one of the first depatments. Professor Atanas Theodorov-Balan is the first head of the department and one of the most ardent activists for the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine in 1917, and he participated in all stages of the preparation and realization of the idea.

Since 1989, due to changes in the legislation and the transformation of hospitals into commercial companies, the unified forensic medical network established in the past has been gradually dismantled, the center of which was the Department of Forensic Medicine and Deontology in Sofia. Part of the established medical units in the country has been closed. In his speech the head of the department, Assoc. Prof. Alexander Alexandrov said that the political change leads to the opening of new opportunities for professional contacts of the employees in the department both with neighboring Balkan countries and with other EU countries.

He stressed that, despite the influence of different schools, the Bulgarian forensic science takes the best of them and until the present time has its own forensic science and expert appearance. It stands at the position of strict scientific objectivity in researching and solving the tasks of the expertise. This position is inherited by the founder of Bulgarian forensic science and its successors, it remains valid and unchanged in time to this day. This is because forensic science is objective and serves the cause of truth and public interest. It cannot be left unsaid the fact that the department's activity and its established academy is strongly related to the training of the future specialists. Its methodology helps in building the rest of academic forensic medicine structures in the country – in Plovdiv, Varna, Pleven and Stara Zagora. Unfortunately, there are only 47 remaining doctors in Bulgaria in active age. They prepare expertise to beatings, rape, murder and other crimes. Another 20 retired pathologists help them with documents of expertise. Prof. Aleksandrov summarized that due to the few doctors, the expertises are delayed, and respectively the court cases are delayed. - The problems exist, but the team of the Forensic Medicine and Deontology Department, with the strong support of the leaders of the Medical University, the Medical Faculty and the Alexandrovska Hospital, has shown character in its efforts and work over the years. Prof. Aleksandrov added that the overcoming difficulties prove the quality, the sustainability and the desire of the team to develop, improve, learn the new technologies and apply of good world practices.

Greetings and Honorary Signs of the Medical University- Sofia and the Medical Faculty were presented by the rector of the University Prof. Viktor Zlatkov and the Deputy Dean Prof. Silvi Georgiev. Together with the Director of Alexandrovska Hospital, Assoc. Prof. K. Angelov, they wished their colleagues to meet this anniversary with their own satisfaction and the works done because the most important thing for a person is to have the strength to go along the chosen path and not to forget, that his deeds are his face before society. It was also pleasant to hear the positive greetings from the heads of forensic departments from Plovdiv and Varna, as well as from the other representatives of the academic community.