Friday 28 June, at the headquarters of the Italian Air Force's Institute of Aerospace Medicine (IMA) in Rome the change of Director has taken place, which has seen the Colonel Pasquale Musolino take command, taking over from Chief Inspector Fabio Morgagni. The ceremony was presided over by the Logistics Commander of the Italian Air Force, Air Force General Antonio Conserva.
Gen. Isp. Fabio Morgagni, after the customary greetings, emotionally recalled his last 10 years spent at this Institute, emphasising the importance of IMA which “it is tasked with ascertaining the requirements of Airworthiness as a specific mandate towards all the Armed Forces and the State's Armed Corps and towards airborne civilian personnel, as the Institute functions as Aeromedical Centre, as per European regulations”. He then highlighted some data concerning the year 2023, during which approximately 26,000 users with a total of 60,000 specialist visits carried out by 40 doctors and nurses, 12,000 instrumental examinations e 307,000 laboratory tests. Finally, he recalled that the IMA has “processed over 2500 candidates and issued 1500 remote assessments for basic aeromedical examinations conducted by peripheral squadron doctors, with a total of approximately 100 expert medical opinions issued on each working day of the year”.
Colonel Musolino then thanked General Inspector Morgagni, who “He has guided this Institute with great sagacity and competence through the difficulties of the current resources and context, ensuring the health of our pilots and the safety of our skies as the ultimate goal of our work through specific skills and standards, which concern all navigators in the civil and military world.”.
“Every move from one role to another is an opportunity for growth that forces us to look at things from a broader and more complex perspective.” stated the Head of the Health Service of the Logistic Command.“The IMA are the pride of the Health Corps, entities capable of fulfilling the tasks arising from an enormous workload gained in almost 100 years of experience in Aeronautical Medicine, what makes IMA a national centre of excellence.
At the end of the ceremony, the Logistics Commander complimented the IMA on the capability expressed despite some complex historical moments, such as the COVID period, where nothing ever went “Despite the quality or attention required in issuing medico-legal provisions, your true pride and joy, and the fruit of so much professionalism and the balance that distinguishes your staff and those who have commanded you over the years. “emphasising how much the Medical Corps will always remain”It Keystone of Aerospace Medicine”.
