Brief History of IMEB n. f.

Brief History of IMEB n. f.

IMEB n. f. was firstly established as an independent legal person in the legal form of a foundation – „Foundation – Institute of Medical Ethics and Bioethics“ (IMEB Fdn.) in 1993 to support activities of the original Institute of Medical Ethics and Bioethics. The later was founded in 1992 on the basis of the Chair of Medical Ethics of the Institute for Postgraduate Education of Health Care Professionals (Slovak acronym „IVZ“; in 2002 transformed into the Slovak Medical University (SMU)) as a joint institute of IVZ and Faculty of Medicine of the Comenius University (FM CU) in Bratislava.

Original IMEB of IVZ and FM CU, which was not a legal person, from its establishment and early activities did become a leading workplace in the Slovak Republic (SR) of the disciplines of medical ethics, bioethics, ethics in nursing and ethics in public health. It took an important part in the elaboration/establishment of their first teaching programs, texts and textbooks, first research projects and ethics committees in SR.

In 1994, in collaboration with Charis a. s. publishing house, IMEB Fdn. started to publish an international bilingual (Slovak/English) scientific/professional journal – „Medicínska etika & Bioetika - Medical Ethics & Bioethics“.

In gradual vanishing of the activities of the original institute, IMEB Fdn. was to take over, or supplement many of those; including international relations, research projects and collaboration. In 2002, the original institute (as a joint workplace of IVZ/SMU and FM CU) ceased to exist (it was followed by two departments of medical ethics/bioethics at SMU or FM CU, respectively). In 2003, IMEB Fdn., according to the Law No. 34/2002 Coll. on foundations, underwent a transformation into the “Non-investment Fund – Institute of Medical Ethics and Bioethics” (IMEB n. f.).

Publications about the history of bioethics in Slovakia

Activities of IMEB IVZ and FM CU and corresponding activities of IMEB n. f. formed the basis for establishment and further development of the disciplines of medical ethics, bioethics, ethics in nursing and ethics in public health in Slovakia (SR), as well as for connections of these disciplines into the European and international contexts. Selected publications of members/co-workers of IMEB, listed below, document important facts about the ‘birth’ and development of those disciplines in SR, and contain concrete information about the role of IMEB in those activities.

• Glasa, J.: Medical ethics and bioethics in the Slovak Republic (1990 - 1992). Inter. Jal. of Bioeth., 4, 1993, č. 3, s. 228 - 230.
• Glasa J., Holomáň J., Klepanec J., Šoltés L.: Ethics commitees and achievement of good clinical practice. Thérapie, 51, 1996, s. 369 - 372.
• Glasa, J.: Bioethics and challenges of a society in transition: The birth and development of bioethics in post – totalitarian Slovakia. Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal, 10, 2000, č. 2, s. 165 – 170.
• Glasa, J., Bielik, J., Ďačok, J., Glasová, M., Porubský, J.: Ethics committees (HECs/IRBs) and health care reform in the Slovak Republic: 1990 – 2000. HEC Forum, 12, 2000, č. 4, s. 358 – 366.