Colonel Dr. Levente Várhelyi receives prestigious international recognition
Text: HDF Medical Centre | Photo: by the HDF Medical Centre | 12:15 April 7, 2026President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella recently awarded Colonel Dr. Levente Várhelyi PhD one of the highest state decorations of Italy, the knight’s title “Cavaliere” for his cooperation with Italian military medical institutions and the popularization of Italian trauma surgery procedures in Hungary. The colonel received the medal – the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic awarded for outstanding political, artistic, economic or social performance – from Italy’s ambassador to Hungary Giuseppe Scognamiglio. The recognition confirms Colonel Dr. Várhelyi’s decades-long professional performance and dedication on an international level.
Colonel Dr. Várhelyi has been providing medical support to soldiers and diplomatic and information corps of the Italian contingent for 30 years or so. He is currently serving as head physician at the Trauma Surgery Department of the Central Hospital of Northern Pest – Military Hospital. During his professional career, he has assumed an outstanding role both in domestic and international medical care.
He served in Afghanistan on several occasions, and during his last tour of duty, he was appointed commander of the Mazar-e-Sharif military hospital. Besides, he joined the rescue operation as a member of the Hunor Hungarian Rescue Team after the earthquake in Türkiye in February 2023. The facts that besides his medical vocation he is also known as an autodidactic vulcanologist and is active as a tour guide are a sign of his versatility. His career path is a special amalgam of professional dedication and openness to challenges.
The Italian state decoration is a worthy recognition of Colonel Dr. Levente Várhelyi PhD’s outstanding professional performance and dedication.
