More than forty staff members of the University of Debrecen Clinical Centre were honoured for their outstanding and exemplary work at the Semmelweis Day ceremony. At Friday's event, Zoltán Szabó, President of the Clinical Centre, presented the Presidential Diplomas of Recognition, the Clinical Chief Physician Awards, the Clinical Centre Patient Care Medal, and the Outstanding Physician Medal and Award in the renovated boardroom of the President's Office.

1st July is the anniversary of the birth of Ignác Semmelweis, one of the most outstanding figures in medicine, the "saviour of mothers and babies", and the Day of Hungarian Health. In his speech at the ceremony on Friday, Zoltán Szabó, President of the Clinical Centre, stressed that Ignác Semmelweis' life's work has many lessons to teach and serves as an example for everyone. He was guided by a single goal: to help his fellow human beings. He consistently adhered to the certainty of his own scientific faith, which has saved and continues to save millions of human lives.
- Semmelweis has undoubtedly left his mark. He fought tenaciously, without hesitation, risking his own health and life, for the most beautiful and noble goal: the protection of human life. He made one of the most significant discoveries in medicine, and due to the chlorine handwashing that he introduced, mortality from childbed fever fell dramatically. "Salus aegroti suprema lex esto" - the patient's salvation is the supreme law. I believe that this Hippocratic creed, which is the essence of our profession, is a fitting tribute to the work and professional commitment of our great predecessor. This is the principle along which - preserving and further developing Semmelweis' legacy - we must act and act every day, keeping in mind the lofty goal of the uninterrupted development of patient care activities", emphasized Zoltán Szabó, President of the Clinical Centre.

The professor added that the Clinical Centre has just completed an epoch-changing four years in its history.
- With the establishment of the integrated clinical patient care system, the most significant organisational transformation in the history of the institution was completed at the end of last year, making the Clinical Centre one of the most influential healthcare institutions in Hungary and the Central European region. However, the completion of the organisational integration will not mean the cessation of the medical and infrastructural developments," said the President of the Clinical Centre.

Among the most significant recent achievements, he mentioned the opening of the Hybrid Operating Theatre for Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery, the Cornea Outpatient Clinic at the Department of Ophthalmology, the opening of the new Pediatric Emergency, and the Da Vinci robotic surgical device, which allows for the safe and more precise performance of urological, ear, nose and throat, and gynecological surgeries, in addition to general surgery.

The President of the Clinical Centre said: "However, quality patient care would not be possible without the highly qualified staff who work tirelessly for patients, providing outstanding performance and daily sacrifice.

Professor Zoltán Szabó awarded thirty employees of the Clinical Centre with the Presidential Certificate of Recognition and the Reward Award in recognition of their outstanding work.

For their outstanding, nationally recognized, exemplary professional work in the field of patient care (prevention-cure-diagnosis), nine professionals of the institution received the title of Chief Clinical Physician.

The Clinical Centre Patient Care Medal was awarded to Zsolt Kanyári, Chief of the Department of Surgery, in recognition of his exemplary and outstanding work.


The Clinical Centre Distinguished Physician Medal and Award is given to a specialist who has made outstanding contributions to the achievement of the Clinical Centre's goals. On the occasion of the Semmelweis Day 2024, Zoltán Bodnár, Head of the Department of General Internal Medicine, Kenézy Gyula Campus "D" Building, Department of Internal Medicine, was awarded the distinction based on the decision of the Management Board of the University of Debrecen Clinical Centre.

Press Centre