The Diving Medicine Summer School was officially opened with the first dive taking place in Kraljevica on 6 July 2023. For six years in a row, this event, organised by the Croatian Medical Students’ International Committee (CroMSIC), is also supported by JGL in recognition of the project’s major contribution to the promotion of sustainable development of the local community.
At the Summer School, students from Canada, Sweden, Thailand, Germany, Singapore, Finland, Slovenia, Belgium, Greece, Australia, Czechia, and Estonia learn to dive and provide urgent care to drowned divers, while Croatian professionals teach them all about diving and hyperbaric medicine, which is being increasingly used in treatment. This branch of medicine not only treats conditions caused by diving at great depths but is also increasingly important in the treatment of burns, frostbite, Crohn's disease, diabetes...
Thanks to Rijeka’s excellent position and its Centre for Research and Education in Undersea, Hyperbaric and Maritime Medicine, we can provide international medicine students with top-quality training through the Diving Medicine Summer School. The project is interesting to an increasing number of foreign and Croatian students and it prompted us to establish the Diving and Undersea Medicine Section of the Student Union of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Rijeka. It will be held in English by medical student and diving instructor Alistair Powell under the mentorship of dr. Igor Barković, the Head of the Centre for Research and Education in Undersea, Hyperbaric and Maritime Medicine. We are exceptionally pleased to see new, high-quality ideas developing and being put into action from the project, said Laura Radoš, the Head of the Diving Medicine Summer School at the CroMSIC.
This year, there are participants from four continents, and dr. Barković stressed that he is particularly happy to see the ones looking forward to returning to Croatia.
Since the main objective of the Centre is to gather experts, scientists, teachers, and students at an international level, and to provide an institutional framework for scientific research, professional development and education in undersea, maritime and hyperbaric medicine, I am delighted to see students returning, wishing to cooperate with us in research. This project blends hyperbaric medicine, science, a drowning rescue course, and diving and participants may not learn that in their countries, dr. Igor Barković explained.
In line with accountable and sustainable business practices, JGL continuously supports a series of projects in the local and wider community and builds partnerships aimed at active participation in strengthening the general healthcare system.
We support various student organisations and activities because we believe in the adage that the young shall inherit the earth. We have been supporting the Diving Medicine Summer School for years now because we believe in the healing powers of the sea, and have used its benefits in our products for decades. However, one should keep in mind that it may also be extremely dangerous. Therefore, with the rise in popularity of diving and other maritime activities, we need future young professionals to teach us and contribute to safety, to be of service to those injured and to develop modern branches of medicine for treating various diseases, said Alenka Jajac Knez, JGL’s marketing operations director.
The other project partners besides JGL are the Clinical Hospital Centre Rijeka, Student Centre Rijeka, Rijeka Tourist Board, Rijeka Faculty of Medicine, and the University of Rijeka.