With the cooperation of the Hungarian Government, the Semmelweis Memorial Committee has built a commemorative bust of Semmelweis and donated it to the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center. It was unveiled in a ceremony at the Center grounds to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Semmelweis.

Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis was a Hungarian physician and a pioneer of disinfection and methods of infection control in hospitals. While working at a Viennese maternity hospital, Semmelweis discovered that childbed fever rates were greatly reduced by doctors washing their hands before delivering children. He is now known as “The Father of Infection Control” and “The Savior of Mothers.”

The ceremony was attended by Her Majesty the Empress acting as honorary president of the Japanese Red Cross Society. The unveiling of the bust was greeted with applause in recognition of Semmelweis’s meritorious deeds. HGPI Chairman Kiyoshi Kurokawa was also present at the ceremony and gave the closing remarks.

* This project was conducted by HGPI with its objectives set by Japan Medical Association Chairman Yoshitake Yokokura and HGPI Chairman Kiyoshi Kurokawa with the approval of the Japanese Red Cross Medical Center and the Embassy of Hungary in Japan. The project received patronage from the Foundation of Hungarian Medical Universities, the Japanese Medical Association, MIKI HOUSE Japan Co., Ltd, the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the Japanese Nursing Association, the Japan-Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Association, and the Japan-Hungary Friendship Association.

■You can watch the day’s proceedings below.