Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Medical professionals and volunteers in Covid-19 wards receive Human of the Year award

Author:
Photo: Bulgarian Helsinki Committee

For the 12th consecutive year the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee awarded individuals with specific or significant public activity, in the past 12 months, aimed at asserting human rights, animal or environmental protection. The ceremony took place on Human Rights Day, 10 December, in online format due to the Covid-19 pandemic, though this in no way hindered the winners from elaborating on the causes they have devoted their time and energy to, entirely pro bono.

This year the jury considered 70 nominations of 59 individuals and organizations. Of them 50 were admitted to participate. Out of these 50 the winners in the various categories were selected.

The “Human of the Year” award was bestowed on all medical professionals and volunteers who have dedicated themselves to saving human lives in Covid-19 wards throughout the country. On behalf of the medical community the award was received by Dr. Aya Taha and Dr. Sezen Habilov.


The young family of anesthesiologists was among the first volunteers in the isolation ward of Pirogov emergency hospital at the start of the pandemic in this country in March.

​“It is an honour for us to receive this award, but we must emphasize that we haven’t done anything all that heroic,” Dr. Sezen Habilov said today. “We are sure that all colleagues would do the same and as the pandemic unfolded, this was proved true, and they are now working on the ground 24/7. So that this prize is for them too. An integral element of the spirit of all people from the medical profession in Bulgaria is a sense of duty and self-sacrifice.”

The activists from the “For a proper children’s hospital” civic initiative were declared first runners-up.

The “Journalist of the year” award went to Maria Tsuntsarova.


Advocate of the year – to Ivan Burgov, who actively upholds the rights of people with impaired hearing. He too is a journalist who creates specialized news entirely in the Bulgarian sign language.

The prize “Activist of the year” was awarded to Danita Zarichonova from Za Zemiata (For the Earth) environmental organization for her efforts in support of various environmental and public causes in the country.


“One of the aims of these awards is to shed light on people and organizations who have been working throughout the year to help different causes and communities. The “Human of the Year” award ought to motivate all of us, watching from the sidelines, to make a bigger effort to support these kind of causes and communities, to encourage the people who have been doing just that to continue to do so,” Nadezhda Tsekulova, campaigns and communications director at the Bulgarian Helsinki Committee explained for the BNR’s Radio Sofia channel.

Photos: BHC and library



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Prof. Bettany Hughes

Prof. Bettany Hughes: Bulgaria is a very special place

At the Bulgarian Embassy in London, Prof. Bettany Hughes presented excerpts from the new BBC series - Wonders of Bulgaria. Prof. Bettany Hughes is the author of two episodes of the documentary. Hughes is a historian, writer, author of..

published on 11/29/24 1:40 PM

Cardiovascular conditions are the main cause of death in Bulgaria

According to the Annual Report on the Health Status of Bulgarian Citizens for 2023, t he main cause of death in Bulgaria is diseases of the cardiovascular system (61.1%), followed by oncological diseases (16.5%) and diseases of the respiratory system..

published on 11/28/24 1:57 PM

WWF Bulgaria draws attention to bear conservation

In the week of St. Andrew’s Day (also known as Bears’ Day or Mechkinden), WWF is drawing attention to six orphaned bear cubs who have been given a second chance at life.  The initiative is part of the "Subscribe to Nature" campaign and..

published on 11/27/24 11:28 AM