Semmelweis University has honored Dr. Géza Tasnádi, university affiliated professor and habilitated honorary associate professor, with the Silver Pro Universitate Award, in recognition of his work in developing pediatric vascular surgery and in post-graduate education. The retired head of department of the Pál Heim Children’s Hospital accepted the award from rector Dr. Béla Merkely at a ceremony held at the Városmajor Heart and Vascular Center.
Dr. Géza Tasnádi graduated from the Budapest Medical University in 1961, became the head of the surgery department of the István Apáthy Children’s Hospital (today called Bethesda Children’s Hospital) in 1984, and was named the director of the Pál Heim Children’s Hospital’s Department of Surgery in 1989, said rector Dr. Béla Merkely in his appreciation speech. He stressed that during his career, Dr. Tasnádi developed several new specialties in his field in Hungary, in the area of recognizing and treating congenital vascular malformations. He treated not just most of the Hungarian patients, but most of the patients in other countries in the region as well, and his work and reputation has garnered wide international recognition, the rector said. As a teacher at Semmelweis University, he has played an active role in the training of various medical specialists as well. It was on his recommendation and with his professional guidance that the National Center for Vascular Malformations was established, comprised of experts from Semmelweis University’s Városmajor Heart and Vascular Center and the Pál Heim Children’s Hospital. When handing over the award, Dr. Béla Merkely said that the Pál Heim Children’s Hospital and the Semmelweis University consider it their joint duty to guard, develop and pass on to future generations of doctors the experience and knowledge amassed by Dr. Géza Tasnádi.
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Dr. Géza Tasnádi was recommended for the Silver Pro Universitate Award by Dr. Anikó Nagy, the director-general and chief medical officer of the Pál Heim Children’s Hospital.
Following the acceptance of the award, Dr. Géza Tasnádi said that during his career as a doctor, he was always aided unselfishly by his colleagues. He recalled that as an adult surgeon, he was a strict director of his departments, but when he started working with children he identified with them, because he believes children have different spirits than adults. “What a child wants is to live amidst love, to be smart, to teach people to be, like Misi Nyilas [a character in a famous novel by Hungarian writer Zsigmond Móricz] said, faithful unto death,” said Dr. Géza Tasnádi, who ended by thanking his colleagues, his wife and family, who “have brought love into my life.”
Eszter Keresztes
Translation: Tamás Deme
Photo: Attila Kovács
