Category: Balkan Military Medical Committee

3rd BMMC Congress was held in Athens, Greece, from 11 to 13 May 1998. Nine hundred and eleven (911) specialists participated from the four member countries of BMMC. There were two hundred (200) from Bulgaria, five hundred and five (505) from Greece, forty eight (48) from Romania and fifty eight (58) from Turkey. Also, officers from military medical services of other twenty two (22) countries, other than BMMC member countries, took part in the congress. A number of five hundred and forty eight (548) scientific papers from all medical specialties were presented.

The possibility of establishment a Joint Medical Unit was discussed after the congress, during the 6th BMMC Meeting, following Greek National Board’s proposal. At that meeting, it was decided the number of participants for next congresses to be forty (40) medical officers from each country, plus the members of National Boards, Honorary Guests and accompanying persons.

The 2^nd BMMC Congress was held in Sofia, Bulgaria from 06 to 09 October, 1997.

During the 5th BMMC meeting at 08 October, all BMMC National Boards decided about BMMC emblem: “It should have a circular form, where the outer circle contains the Committee’s name in full (Balkan Military Medical Committee), the acronym BMMC and the year 1995. The inner circle contains the National flags of the four member countries, where the exact colors and proportions of the national flags should be reproduced. The central circle contains a map of the Balkan countries where the whole territories of the four BMMC countries are colored in blue, while the rest of the Balkan countries are only outlined. The background of the map is pink. In a central position, there is the Hypocratic symbol representing a stick and a yellow snake”.

Details about BMMR were discussed (cover, format, status, publication, editorial and scientific board etc.) during 5th BMMC meeting and decision continued during the 2nd extra meeting of BMMC at 06 December 1997, that was held in Athens. It was decided that the publication of BMMR would be responsibility of Greek National Board for four years begging from 1998.

The 1^st BMMC Congress which was held in Istanbul, Turkey, from 6 until 8 May 1996, was a great success. Five hundred and sixty eight (568) specialists participated to the congress and two hundred and fifty seven (257) scientific works were presented. According to Agreed Minutes during the 4th BMMC meeting after the 1st congress, it was decided every National Board of BMMC to have a President and a Secretary General who must be communicated to the Chairman of BMMC.