Restored medal honour awarded to medical team
A MEDAL for medical research dating back to 1894 has been restored to its former glory.
The St Mungo’s Medal was awarded from 1894 until 1944 by the St Mungo’s College of Medicine to students and junior doctors for pioneering research.
More than 70 years later, it has been restored by the University’s Curator of Coins and Medals at the Hunterian Museum and awarded to the InSPIRE Team, who work with intensive care patients.
Professor Dame Anna Dominiczak, Vice Principal and Head of the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow presented the team with the new St Mungo’s Medal on Friday.
Dr Adrian Stanley, Chair of the GRI Medical Staff Association, said: “Most people are aware that St Mungo was the founder and patron saint of Glasgow and he has a special place i n the heart of many Glaswegians.
“In the late 19th and early 20th century, the medal in his name was strongly contested among students and doctors, with awards given for Medicine, Surgery, Physiology, Chemistry and even Zoology.
“The committee had the idea to revive the St Mungo’s Medal as the prize for a newly-planned annual GRI research meeting, but few of us thought there would be such a massive response to the call for abstract submissions.
“In just a short time we received 85 submissions from all areas of medicine including Orthopaedics, ENT, Medicine and Surgery.
“We congratulate the InSpire team as the worthy winner of the first St Mungo’s Medal of the 21st century.”
Joanne McPeake, intensive care nurse, said: “Intensive Care patients suffer many social, psychological, emotional and physical challenges in the months and years following critical care discharge. Caregivers and loved ones suffer similarly.
“The InSPIRE programme was set up to support these vulnerable patients during this difficult time.
“The entire inspire team is delighted to be awarded the St Mungo’s medal for this work and our hope would be that this would raise the profile of the issues that ICU patients face.”