The auditorium of the University of Barcelona (UB) hosted yesterday afternoon a moving tribute of the UB to the Bellvitge University Hospital (HUB) on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The solemn act was attended by some 300 people, with a wide representation of professionals from the hospital and the university, among others.
Some of the highlights were: the projection of the 50th anniversary video; Francesc Gudiol’s and Maria Teresa Lluch’s historical memories; or the performance by the Choir of the Faculty of Philology and Communication of the UB. Still another highlight was the round table of professionals trained at the Bellvitge Campus, with Josep M. Caminal, Carmen Cabellos, Eulalia Juvé, Josep M. Cruzado and Octavi Servitje.
The event was chaired by the rector of the UB, Joan Guàrdia. Along with him there were also: Núria Marín, mayor of Hospitalet and president of Diputació de Barcelona; Montserrat Gea, director general of Health Professionals of the Department of Health; Montserrat Figuerola, manager of the HUB; as well as Antoni Trilla and Joan Miquel Nolla dean and vice-dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences respectively, among other authorities and representatives.
During the speeches, the rector described Bellvitge Hospital as "a benchmark institution, with which we have a shared history of public service. Bellvitge is an exciting project for the future, and the people who carry it out show a fundamental element: commitment." For her part, Montserrat Figuerola valued "the collaboration with universities" as "one of the great values of the public health system in Catalonia." "We want to keep sharing projects with the University of Barcelona, in the shared Biocluster of Innovation and Health, generating knowledge on precision medicine, data and artificial intelligence. We hope that the good seeds of excellence of previous generations in research, teaching and innovation will permeate the current generation of students," Figuerola added.
Uninterrupted cooperation
Very soon after the inauguration of Bellvitge University Hospital, which took place on 8 November 1972, the collaboration with the University of Barcelona began. Initially, this took the form of the hospital hosting the final year of the Faculty of Medicine and an early agreement between the hospital's School of Nursing and the university. These synergies would take a fundamental qualitative leap forward with the creation, in 1990, of the University of Barcelona Campus in Bellvitge, where the complete academic studies would be taught from then on, with numerous professionals from the hospital as professors, and have continued to be strengthened up to the present day.
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences of the UB currently provides undergraduate teaching in Medicine, Nursing, Dentistry, Podiatry and Biomedical Sciences at its Bellvitge campus, and also offers postgraduate teaching activities, such as doctoral, specialisation and university extension courses. In addition, the university and the hospital collaborate intensively in biomedical research -along with other institutional partners- through the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL).
A year of celebration
Yesterday's session at the auditorium of the University of Barcelona was the first of three major main events that will close the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the HUB. This commemoration calendar began in November 2021 with an event in the HUB’s auditorium presented by the actor and director José Corbacho, which was attended by the Minister of Health, the rector of the UB and the mayor of Hospitalet, among other authorities.
Other outstanding activities throughout this year have been:
3 historical exhibitions, 50 years, 50 portraits, Pioneer Women HUB and Bellvitge Hospital: a journey through time;
the cycle of educational and informative talks carried out by hospital professionals with the collaboration of the city councils of Hospitalet and El Prat;
the presentation, on 21 October, of the City Medal of El Prat de Llobregat to the hospital.
The celebration activities will culminate with these two final events:
8 November (the exact date of the anniversary). An event at the hospital, where a book on the history of the centre will be presented and professionals and patients will be invited to a birthday cake;
11 November. A grand gala dinner for the hospital’s staff at the Reials Drassanes, with the presence of guest authorities and entertainment performances to liven up the event.