News of Radio Prague
Czech military field hospital opened in Iraq
The Czech 7th military field hospital has officially opened its doors to patients in Basra, Iraq, after a two week delay. Originally, the hospital was supposed to begin operating on May 6th, but logistical problems with the transport of materials prevented it from doing so. Until now a provisional site was used to tend to some 50 patients a day. Around 280 Czech personnel are stationed at the military hospital, including a haematologist, a paediatrician, and even a dentist. Doctors have also received training on local customs and the religion of Islam.
Slovaks vote to join the EU
Citizens of the Czech Republic's eastern neighbour Slovakia have voted in favour of joining the European Union. Just over 52 percent of eligible voters took part in the plebiscite on Friday and Saturday, 2 percent more than the minimum turn-out required to validate the results. On Sunday the referendum commission said it recognised the outcome as valid. Of those who took part in voting an overwhelming majority, 92.46 percent voted in favour of joining the EU, with 6.2 voting against. After the results were announced the head of Slovak parliament Pavol Hrusovsky stated that the "future" of his country had "acquired a new dimension". On Sunday Czech Prime Minister Vladimir Spidla was among those to offer congratulations. The Czech Republic faces its own referendum on EU accession in just under a month.
Attack victim will undergo further surgery later in week
The condition of a sixty-three year-old Czech psychiatrist, who suffered a deadly attack by one of his patients earlier this week, has improved doctors say. A ten hour operation on Friday was able to stabilise the man's condition: he had received deep slash wounds to the head and hands by machete. The 63 year-old psychiatrist now awaits still more surgery later in the week. The attack on the doctor, the second such incident this year, has led the medical community to call for greater security for medical professionals. In a similar incident in March another doctor was shot dead by a disgruntled patient in Prague, apparently unsatisfied with the results of a past operation.
Czech Radio celebrates 80 years with fanfare, holds special event at original broadcast site
The public broadcaster Czech Radio is celebrating its 80th anniversary this Sunday since its first historic broadcast under the name Radiojournal from an army tent in a Prague field, on May 18th, 1923. The public, invited to join in the commemorative celebration held at the historic site in Prague, was able to view a recreation of that original broadcast, as well as to listen to the music of Czech stars Lenka Filipova, the Havelka sisters, and Karel Gott and the Czech Radio Orchestra. Also on hand: theatre legends Jiri Suchy and Jiri Labus, as well as moderators from the public broadcaster, all present to celebrate the birth of Czech Radio.
Change of broadcast
In light of Radio Prague's Czech service broadcasting live celebrations of Czech Radio's 80th anniversary, we will not be broadcasting our English programme this Sunday from 2000 - 2027 UTC on 5930 kHz and 11600 kHz., i.e. in N.W. Europe, S.E. Asia and Australia.
Weather
Monday is expected to see showers throughout the day with daytime temperatures of 20 degrees Celsius.
