On Monday 12 December, at the headquarters of the Institute of Aerospace Medicine of the AM (IMAS) in Rome, the change of director took place, in which Brigadier General Fabio Morgagni took over command from Brigadier General Pietro Perelli.
Brig. gen. Perelli retraced the events that marked the years of his direction, focusing on how “IMAS is a peculiar structure, unique in its task and, for me, having been part of this team was a great honor.”. He also underlined many goals and objectives achieved especially in the context of the COVID-19 health emergency in which the staff has been engaged on the front line.
The Institute of Aerospace Medicine of Rome was founded in 1931 following the transfer of the Institute of Legal Medicine of Guidonia founded in 1925. IMAS is a highly specialized medico-legal centre, with over 20000 annual visits it deals with the suitability for flight for the pilots of all the Armed Forces, Law Enforcement Forces and Armed Forces of the State, as well as all the civil air-navigating personnel of the Italian and foreign flight companies. It also makes its clinics available for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation in various medical specialties.
During the COVID-19 emergency, all IMAS personnel were employed in various areas aimed at tackling the pandemic, both in military operations and alongside civilian health bodies. In particular, all medical and nursing staff were immediately used for air transport in biocontainment and support for hospitals throughout Italy.
