24.10. - 1 - Speech of The Day - Tenth Anniversary of Dejazmatch Balcha Hospital

On Thursday, October 24, 1957, on the Tenth

Anniversary of the Dejazmatch Balcha Hospital

His Imperial Majesty replied to the speech of

Professor E. Arbusov, the Director of the Hospital,

as follows:

"It gives Us pleasure to be present here at this

hospital named after one of Our National heros Dedjazmatch

Ba1cha, on the occasion of the Commemoration

of its first decade devoted to the fruitful cause of helping

the sick and preserving the health of Our people.

It is a fact that the very word, "hospital" is a

symbol of and memorial to the sacrifice made by man

for the well-being of his fellow-men. This humanitarian

and charitable task of helping the ailing and infirm, of keep- ,

ing men and women in good health that they may properly

fulfil their civic duties, is indeed a sacred duty of substantial

value to mankind, going beyond all national

barriers, beyond all narrow affinities of race and

religion.

It is indeed as a result of this that medical science,

springing out of the love of man for his fellow-men and

out of sympathy for his suffering, has been universally

accepted as having no boundaries nor biases.

Indeed, We can hardly think of a better means to

secure mutual understanding and cultural co-operation

among the peoples of the world, than to labour selflessly

and lovingly in the field of medical service for the relief of

those who stand in great need of such aid.

The activities of this hospital, during the past ten

years of its existence in general, and specifically its pursuit

of service in the noble tradition of Soviet Medicine, and

its desire to help Ethiopia in the spirit of co-operation

and friendship, have indeed borne fruit in a manner

that is pleasing to Us.

We can never forget the great help rendered to

Our Country by the Russian Red Cross Society during

the hard and perilous times of 1896 and by the medical

mission in 1897, during the reign of His Majesty the Emperor

Menelik II. That timely aid will gratefully be

remembered for ever.

We wish to express Our thanks for the greetings of

the more than 24 million members of the Red Cross

Society of the Soviet Union, conveyed to Us through

their distinguished Vice-President, and We would be

very pleased if Our own greetings with the expression

of Our admiration, as well as Our good wishes be conveyed

to the great people of the Soviet Union.

We wish to thank the Doctors and assistants and

the members of the nursing and administrative staff, of

the Dedjazmatch Baltcha Hospital, for the medical aid

that they have rendered in the spirit of kindness and love

to the sick who have come to this hospital in search of

such help that the Red Cross Society of the Soviet Union

has given in the form of modern medical equipment, in

order to develop and perfect the facilities of this hospital.

We would like to state on this occasion that this

hospital will continue to enjoy Our help and interest as it

has in the years of the past."

Speeches delivered by His Imperial Majesty Haile Selassie Ist Emperor of Ethiopia on various occasions - page 15 -

HIM QHS in a Red Cross Hospital Ethiopia 1935