Debrecen4U May 26, 2026

Professionals from Hajdú-Bihar Recognised on National Ambulance Service Day

On the occasion of National Ambulance Service Day, emergency workers from Hajdú-Bihar County who have served for several decades and carried out outstanding work received professional awards at a ceremony held in the ceremonial hall of the Debrecen Reformed College on 26 May 2026.

One of the distinguished award recipients was Dr Éva Preisz, whose more than five decades of service were recognised. At the ceremony, Deputy Mayor Diána Széles stated that work is underway to expand the county’s current network of 53 Life Saving Points.

The history of the ambulance service began 139 years ago. The mission of ambulance workers is to serve people, protect life, and provide help in times of trouble. Last year in Hajdú-Bihar County there were 81,000 rescue operations, ambulance vehicles travelled more than 3.5 million kilometres, and 39,000 people received care through the on-call system. The success rate of telephone-assisted resuscitations also doubled, highlighted the regional director of the service during the celebration connected to Ambulance Service Day, stressing that developments support both the work of ambulance staff and patient care.

“It is also a welcome development that during the past year nearly HUF 500 million worth of improvements could be carried out in Hajdú-Bihar County through the renovation of ambulance stations. Our buildings have been renewed, and we have been able to create a modern working environment for our colleagues, which not only supports the everyday work of staff but also further improves the standard of patient care,” pointed out Ferenc Korcsmáros, Regional Director of the National Ambulance Service (OMSZ).

One of the highlights of the event came when Dr Éva Preisz received a Director General’s Certificate of Recognition for her five decades of work in emergency patient care. The award-winning doctor comes from a family of physicians. “It became a commitment, an enduring passion. I could only imagine my life here. Interestingly, at the beginning I absolutely did not want to do it and protested against it with all my might, but afterwards it became impossible to pull me away from here, because this was the only thing that truly interested me,” the specialist said.

In connection with the ambulance workers’ celebration, Deputy Mayor Diána Széles stressed the importance of recognising those who are responsible for people’s safety every day and who sacrifice their freedom so that those in need can rely on them for help at any time, even outside working hours. The Deputy Mayor added that there are currently 53 Life Saving Points in the county equipped with defibrillators and trained staff, and efforts are being made to encourage more companies and institutions to join this life-saving initiative. “We would like to reach as many people as possible and teach them life-saving skills. If there is a sudden need to help, those first seconds and minutes are extremely important. It is essential that we are able to provide proper care, and if we do not have to wait for the ambulance but can place ourselves into service, that is a very important skill. A city is strong when as many people as possible are capable of helping in times of trouble,” the Deputy Mayor emphasised.

At the ceremony, 80 ambulance workers recognised for outstanding performance received awards.

Source and photo credit: debrecen.hu