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Putin congratulates children's doctor Roshal on 80th anniversary

Roshal has treated children and participated in operations saving children in emergencies
Photo ITAR-TASS
Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, April 27 (Itar-Tass) - Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Leonid Roshal, director of the Moscow Child Emergency Surgery and Traumatology Research Institute, on the 80th anniversary.

"You are rightfully considered one of the brightest and most worthy representatives of the national medical society, a unique-scale person, the Kremlin press service quoted the president as saying in the congratulatory telegramme. For tens of thousands of people in the country and abroad, the name of Leonid Roshal is a symbol of highest responsibility, courage and devotion to the professional, civil and human duty, the president noted.

For many years, Roshal has treated children and participated in operations saving children in emergencies, earthquakes, disasters and armed conflicts in many countries. Roshal worked in "hot spots" where combat actions, terrorist attacks, natural disasters occurred. He worked in Chechnya, Dagestan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and other countries. In September 2004, doctor Roshal was a mediator in negotiations with terrorists who seized a school in Beslan.

During the tragic days in 2002 when a theater centre in Moscow was seized by terrorists, he negotiated with them. He managed to come several times into the theatre where hostages were held and take some children out, hand over medicines and render first aid to some of the seized people. For the courage, he was awarded the "National Hero" prize in November 2002, and the president awarded the Order of Courage to him in January 2003.

Roshal is the author of 216 scientific articles and seven books about surgery and disaster medicine. He has worked out a programme to train doctors and nurses to treat children in emergencies.

Roshal was officially nominated for the Nobel Prize in 2007. A star in the Taurus constellation is named in his honour.

The children’s doctor has many awards and titles awarded for his various activities in the area of medical science and practice.

Roshal usually does not celebrate his birthdays and every time goes out of Moscow. But this Saturday he will have a banquet in the circle of his friends.