Gheorghiu Natalia

About

Natalia Gheorghiu, born on November 29, 1914, in the village of Manzîr, Tighina county, graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bucharest in 1940, followed by studies at the State Institute of Medicine in Chisinau in 1947 and doctoral studies at the Academy of Medical Sciences in Moscow. She began her career as a doctor in villages in southern Bessarabia, then worked in military hospitals during the war, as a surgeon in adult clinics and, from 1946, at the Department of Hospital Surgery of USMF "Nicolae Testemițeanu". She defended the first doctoral thesis in medical sciences in Moldova (1949) and the habilitation thesis (1954), becoming a university professor in 1961. A pioneer of pediatric surgery, she founded in 1957 the first pediatric surgery department at the Republican Clinical Hospital for Children, the pediatric surgery course, and, in 1960, the Department of Pediatric Surgery and Orthopedics, which she led until 1986. She initiated the National Scientific-Practical Center for Pediatric Surgery, which bears her name, and contributed to the creation of other specialized departments in the republic. Her scientific achievements include over 250 published works, monographs, and invention patents in fields such as neonatal surgery, orthopedics, traumatology, neurosurgery, pediatric oncology, burn treatment, and anesthesiology. A corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences (1971, the first woman from the republic), she was the head of the pediatric surgery school in Moldova, training over 30 Doctors of Science and Doctors Habilitate, most of the current pediatric surgeons being her disciples. She served as Vice-Rector for Academic and Scientific Affairs at USMF (1963-1969), President of the Moldavian Surgical Society, and a member of the International Association of Surgery, participating in international symposia. Her contributions elevated pediatric surgery to European standards, based on modern physiological principles. She received distinctions such as Honored Doctor and Honored Figure of the MSSR, the Orders of the Red Banner of Labour, Friendship of Peoples, and the Order of the Republic, a medal from the International Committee for the Defense of Peace, and the title of Honorary Citizen of Chisinau (1997). A street, a high school, and the Department of Pediatric Surgery at USMF bear her name, and a bust stands in front of the surgical center. She passed away on February 4, 2001, leaving a legacy of total dedication to medicine, and is considered a legend of child healthcare in the Republic of Moldova.