Ljubljana - The Medical Chamber marked its 30th anniversary, and the 130th anniversary of its precursor, the first medical organisation in Slovenia, with a ceremony in Ljubljana on Friday. President Borut Pahor presented it with the Order of Merit for efforts in bringing doctors and dentists together to uphold the integrity of medical profession.

The chamber was also honoured for its efforts to fulfil the mission of medical ethics.

The ceremony at Cankarjev Dom, Slovenia's largest arts centre, paid homage to 130 years of the founding of the first umbrella organisation of doctors and dentists in Slovenia, as well as to 30 years of the establishment of the Medical Chamber as we know it today, the president's office said.

The state decoration was accepted on behalf of the chamber by its president Bojana Beović, an infectious diseases specialist who has become a household name during the Covid epidemic.

In a statement issued before the ceremony, Beović noted that in over a century since the first medical organisation in Slovenia was founded, many political and social aspects had changed, but the role of doctors had remained the same.

She said that the chamber had been abolished several times in its history, but today, it was very much active in various segments of the medical profession and also involved in the drafting of regulations. "Such incentives or recognitions are a guarantee that we can go forward" and continue our work "to make the world a better place for all people, for patients and for doctors," she added.

The Merit of Order citation reads that doctors have always been leaders in other fields as well, in culture, sports, efforts promoting Slovenian identity and politics. The president's office highlighted that the chamber had made a significant contribution not only to the development of medical care but also to social development.