Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marija Jakubauskienė / Personal archive
Today, after President Gitanas Nausėda signed a decree on the composition of the new Government, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marija Jakubauskienė, Director of the Institute of Health Sciences at Vilnius University's (VU) Faculty of Medicine, was appointed Minister of Health of the Republic of Lithuania. The VU community celebrates this significant recognition and wishes her success in her future endeavors.
"Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marija Jakubauskienė has taken on the challenging responsibility of improving the state of the healthcare system. I wish her the strength to overcome the complex tests of leadership while remaining open to constructive criticism. It is crucial for scientists to engage in state affairs so that decisions are guided by intellect, rationality, and an understanding of the common good," said VU Rector Prof. Rimvydas Petrauskas.
As Minister, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Jakubauskienė plans to focus primarily on reducing patient wait times, improving mental health across the country, and increasing the availability of essential medicines.
"For the entire Faculty of Medicine and the medical academic community in general, it is a great honor that our colleague, Assoc. Prof. Marija Jakubauskienė, has been appointed Minister of Health. Through her consistent work, strategic thinking, and genuine care for every individual, Marija has earned the trust and respect of both students and staff at the Faculty of Medicine. Her scientific, expert, managerial, and pedagogical contributions are recognized not only in Lithuania but also internationally. I believe this ministerial role will allow her to gain even greater momentum and open broader horizons for her work.
I wish Marija Jakubauskienė success in overcoming all the challenges and fulfilling the commitments of her new role, which now encompasses not only the academic community but also the entire healthcare sector in Lithuania," expressed Prof. Dalius Jatužis, Dean of the VU Faculty of Medicine.