[Past and future of internal medicine].

On the basis of historical development of internal medicine in Slovakia, the author attracts attention to basic questions as to the presence and future of general medicine and medicine per se. In the context of scientific and technical development, as well as in that of systemic changes in organisation and management of healthcare, the author suggests the basic principles of organisational, scientific as well as personnel solutions of the current crisis in healthcare and society. His work was presented as a lecture at the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the establishment of the Slovak Medical Society in Bratislava.