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33. INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE MEDICINE, LAW & SOCIETY

Publish date: nedelja, 12. maj 2024 | Expiration date: sobota, 31. avgust 2024

The 33rd international conference, organized jointly by the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Medicine under the auspices of the University of Maribor, along with the Medical Association and the Law Society in Maribor, took place on March 21st and 22nd 2024.

On the first day the conference was aimed at discussing the organization of healthcare and on the second day the focus was on reproductive rights and the right to life. Many domestic and foreign experts from the fields of medicine, law, and other disciplines related to the topics under discussion presented their contributions. Once again, the interdisciplinary approach to addressing current issues proved to be extremely effective, enabling the alignment of various professional perspectives, the formulation of solutions to open questions, and the integration of theory and practice.

Traditionally, the participants were first addressed by the rector of the University of Maribor, Prof. Dr. Zdravko Kačič. The issues concerning Healthcare in the Public and Private Sectors were presented by: Minister of Health Prof. Dr. Valentina Prevolnik Rupel, Prof. Dr. Rajko Pirnat from the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marko Jug, General Director of the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jernej Završnik, Director of the Dr. Adolf Drolc Maribor Health Center, family medicine physician Dr. Vesna Pekarović Džakulin, Mag. Marko Bitenc, Director of the Health Institute Health, who presented entrepreneurial approaches to providing public health services, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mojca Tancer Verboten, Chief Secretary of the University of Maribor, who addressed the position of physicians in the public sector (competition prohibition in healthcare). Prof. Dr. Karl Stöger from the Faculty of Law, University of Vienna, presented the Austrian experience. Dr. Ana Kerševan, the General State Attorney, provided insights into property law claims related to healthcare, while Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tatjana Mlakar, General Director of the Health Insurance Institute of Slovenia, and Dr. Alenka Kolar, General Director of the Directorate for Healthcare Digitization, discussed the state of healthcare digitization. Gregor Strojin, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Artificial Intelligence (CAI) at the Council of Europe, spoke about the use of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Perspectives on the Right to Life and Reproductive Rights were presented by Dr. Marko Bošnjak, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights, Dr. Božidar Voljč, President of the State Commission for Medical Ethics, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Urban Vrtačnik presented the legislation in this area. Perspectives from physicians on this topic were presented by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Milan Reljić, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nejc Kozar, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Faris Mujezinović, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bojana Pinter, and Prof. Dr. Krešimir Pavelić. Prof. Dr. Miro Cerar from the Faculty of Law, University of Ljubljana, discussed conscientious objection in artificial termination of pregnancy, while Prof. Dr. Suzana Kraljić addressed the right to know one's origins by presenting legal and ethical dilemmas. Prof. Dr. Rajko Knez, a constitutional judge, provided a comparative (precedential) evaluation of the right to life. Perspectives from physicians on medical assistance in voluntary termination of life and euthanasia were presented by Assoc. Dr. Jelka Reberšek Gorišek, Prof. Dr. Vojko Flis, and Peter Golob, President of the Committee on Legal-Ethical Issues at the Medical Chamber of Slovenia. Prof. Dr. Alojz Ihan provided insights into dialogue between professions, the public, and proponents of the law on voluntary termination of life. Assoc. Dr. Gabriel Kavčič from the Faculty of Theology, University of Ljubljana, presented a theologian's perspective on the right to life. A survey among students of the University of Maribor was conducted, and the results reflecting the views of young people on medical assistance in voluntary termination of life and euthanasia were presented at the conference.

On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at the Faculty of Law, University of Maribor, a Student Round Table on the topic of artificial termination of pregnancy took place, alongside the International Section on the topics of the conference on MS Teams, where numerous foreign experts presented.