TNMU Awarded the Winners of the Regional Competition for the Order of Saint Panteleimon

On June 12, 2024, the assembly hall of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University hosted a festive ceremony for the doctors of the Ternopil region, who became the winners of the regional competition for the “Order of Saint Panteleimon”, a public award for professionalism and charity.

110 people from the Ternopil region joined the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as military doctors and combat medics, 25 people from our university, including 6 doctors and 12 students.

After that, the guests of the event received a pastoral blessing from the spiritual leaders of Ternopil – Archbishop, Metropolitan of Ternopil-Zboriv of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church Vasyly Semeniuk, Archpriest of the Ternopil and Kremenets Diocese of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine Serhii Rositskyi, priest of the Ternopil-Zboriv Diocese of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church Ivan Sichkaryk.

In 2009, the Ministry of Health introduced in Ukraine the incentive award “Cross of Panteleimon the Healer”, which was awarded to those who have outstanding personal merits and contribute to the development of the field of health care and medical science. The award was initiated by the Minister of Health of Ukraine Vasyl Kniazevych and approved and blessed by the leaders of the largest Christian churches of Ukraine.

In 2017, the Order of Saint Panteleimon, a public award for professionalism and charity, was launched, which continued the tradition of awarding doctors with the aim of restoring the foundations of charity and humanism in society. Since then, doctors have been honoured annually.

The award for professionalism and charity “Order of Saint Panteleimon” is public, has a professional orientation and is awarded for humanitarian and noble activity in the field of health care.

Vasyl Kniazevych, the chairman of the honourable council, addressed the audience with a welcome speech. He emphasized that the “Order of St. Panteleimon” was founded in order to raise the prestige of the medical profession, as well as to build and maintain trust in specialists, in each other, in the authorities, so that Ukraine would be strong and consolidated.

Serhii Pasko, a member of the honourable council, noted that he is glad to be at such an important event on his native land and will make every effort to popularize the Order of St. Panteleimon.

TNMU Vice-Rector for Science and Education, Professor Arkadii Shulhai emphasized the importance of supporting doctors in times of war, when civilian and military medics save people’s lives and health. “The support of military doctors is especially important, because they perform their duty at the front. I remember how on February 25, 2022, I met Myroslav Dombrovych with a shoulder bag in the administrative building. Then he said that he was going to the Military Committee to mobilize and save our defenders. I express my thanks to the founders of the “Order of Saint Panteleimon” award. This raises the medical community to a much higher level. We have our own holiday and special award. I wish all of us victory! Glory to Ukraine!” Professor Arkadii Shulhai said.

The nominees of the regional selection in the nomination “For selfless service to the Ukrainian people, courage and steadfastness in the fight for the health of Ukrainians, for the freedom and independence of Ukraine in the war with the Russian aggressor” (for military medics) were:

Eduard Remeziuk – head of the surgical department of military unit A0233, junior lieutenant of the medical service.

Myroslav Dombrovych – captain of the medical service of the military unit in Pokrovsk.

Oleh Papinko – head of the medical service of Kremenets municipal waste disposal facility.

Serhii Zaiachkivskyi – resident doctor of the 66th military mobile hospital in Pokrovsk.

Roman Nakonechnyi – resident doctor of the hospital department of the medical company of the 78th regiment of airborne assault troops.

In the nomination “For selfless service to the Ukrainian people, courage and steadfastness in the fight for the health of Ukrainians, for the freedom and independence of Ukraine in the war with the Russian aggressor” (for civilian doctors) there were:

Petro Skobliak – acting head of the Neurorehabilitation Department of Ternopil Regional Clinical Psychoneurological Hospital

Olha Sydorchuk – obstetrician-gynaecologist of Ternopil Hospital No.2.

Ihor Havura – head of the Otorhinolaryngology Department of Ternopil Regional Clinical Hospital.

Andrii Nadkevych – neurologist at Mykulyntsi Regional Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Hospital.

Liubomyr Synoverskyi – general director of V. H. Vershyhora Bilche-Zolote Regional Rehabilitation Hospital.

The winner among military doctors was Myroslav Dombrovych, Associate Professor of TNMU Department of Oncology, Radiation Diagnostics and Radiation Medicine, captain of the medical service of the military part in Pokrovsk, where he is serving today.

Among the civilian doctors, Liubomyr Synoverskyi, general director of V. H. Vershyhora Bilche-Zolote Regional Rehabilitation Hospital, won the award.

Welcoming words were delivered by the deputy head of Ternopil Regional Military Administration Viktor Ustenko, the deputy director of the health care department of Ternopil Regional Military Administration Tetiana Skarlosh, the head of the department of health care and medical support of Ternopil City Council Vasyl Danchak, the deputy mayor of Ternopil Volodymyr Didych.

At the end of the event, Vasyl Kniazevych wished the winners of the regional competition to successfully complete the all-Ukrainian stage, during which the ethical and professional commission will make their conclusions, and the Honourable Council will vote for each participant separately, and to receive the “Order of St. Panteleimon”.

Students of the Solomiia Krushelnytska Ternopil Art Vocational College, Vladyslav Bondarchuk, members of the “Vesnianka” bandurist ensemble (artistic director and conductor – Iryna Turko), decorated this holiday with creative performances.

TNMU Press Secretary, Yanina Chaikivska.

Photographs by the author.