105 years ago in May 1912 an Ambulance Service was established in Przemyśl, one of the first stations of this type in Poland. Today it is the oldest medical rescue service in Podkarpacie Province, which is now a part of St. Padre Pio Provincial Hospital in Przemyśl.
The establishment of the Station was influenced by a number of tragic events, such as the train crash in Medyka. Accidents of such magnitude and a simple awareness of the need to provide medical aid to citizens led the Przemyśl City Council to issue a resolution on the need for an emergency station on February 8, 1912.
The celebrations honoring the 105th anniversary of the Rescue Service in Przemysl were attended, among others, by the Speaker of the Sejm Marek Kuchciński and the Mayor of the City Robert Choma.
- This important celebration reminds us first of all that institutions are created by people - said Kuchciński. - It is an institution which is a pride for service and health care, it is a part of excellent history of Przemysl region. Therefore it is important to remember and honour the creators of the Ambulance Service.
- For the Polish state, providing help to those in need is one of the most important tasks, a value. It is also a value to support families, strengthen health care and health services, which is currently implemented by the government, and which is one of the greatest expectations of the citizens of the Republic of Poland today - said the Speaker.
Marek Kuchciński also pointed to historical analogies: next year we celebrate the 100th anniversary of regaining independence, in 2019 we will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Legislative Sejm, which passed the Constitution in a few months. Next year we will also celebrate the 550th anniversary of the establishment of the first bicameral Sejm in the Crown lands....
Speech by the Speaker of the Sejm
Photo: Piotr Wolczyk
Unveiling of a memorial plaque on the historic building that was the first headquarters of the Emergency Station
March accompanied by the Salesian Band
Photo: Aleksander Malicki
Handing over the banner
Photo: Piotr Wolczyk
Photo: Aleksander Malicki
Director of the National Museum of the Przemysl Region Jan Jarosz, while opening the board exhibition on the history of the Przemyśl Ambulance Service, emphasized that the Przemyśl Ambulance Service was one of the first institutions in Poland dealing with rescue.
On the boards of the exhibition you can see unique documents and photographs, some from the late nineteenth century, made available by the Rescue Museum in Krakow and the Provincial Centre for Adult Lifelong Learning.
Among the exhibits noteworthy is a collection of more than 80 models of ambulances (including vintage) by Tomasz Macioch from Bilgoraj.
Photo: Piotr Wolczyk
Graphic: Przemyśl Ambulance Service
