Academician Bogdan Brecelj and his contribution to the development of medical rehabilitation in Slovenia

• Main Authors: Senta Jaunig, Zvonka Zupanič Slavec
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Slovenian Medical Association 2012-03-01
• Series: Zdravniški Vestnik
• Online Access: http://vestnik.szd.si/index.php/ZdravVest/article/view/816

The modern concept of rehabilitation, which deals with the patient as a whole, was developed after the Second World War. A key role was played by Bogdan Brecelj, who established a rehabilitation service and trained professional staff – physiotherapists and physiatrists. The first part of the article deals with the main factors behind the development of rehabilitation medicine, which was not influenced solely by developments in medicine but also by global circumstances – first the war and later on the consequences of industrialization. The combination of developments in industrial pathology (treatment of occupational injuries) and a more philanthropically minded society after the Second World War created demands for fair and equitable care for the disabled and an organised and specialized rehabilitation service as established in Slovenia by Brecelj. His all-embracing approach, which provided rehabilitation for all disabled persons (children, soldiers and workers), created conditions, which enabled rehabilitation medicine to become the third integral part of the healthcare system, alongside the curative and preventive healthcare.