Federal MPs Between Sebija and Citizens' Health - Is the Choice Logical?

By Rasim Belko

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A country where every second inhabitant dies of a heart attack, and every fifth of malignant diseases, undoubtedly needs a perfect and modernized healthcare system. 

There is little perfect in Bosnia and Herzegovina, but healthcare is certainly nowhere near that category. 

Political control of healthcare, the dictatorial role of Sebija Izetbegović, the expulsion of top doctors, and the mistreatment of patients are characteristics of the largest institution in the healthcare system of the Federation of BiH entity - the University Clinical Center of Sarajevo (KCUS).

This was a sufficient reason for more than 20 deputies of the House of Representatives of the FBiH Parliament to request the convening of a thematic session on healthcare. 

The Clubs of Deputies of SDP BiH, Naša stranka, Narod i pravda, Nezavisni blok, A-SDA, and PDA requested a discussion on the state of healthcare with proposed measures and on the situation at KCUS with a special focus on patient treatment conditions and the departure of a large number of specialist doctors.

One of the signatories is Amer Obradović, a deputy of Nezavisni blok. 

In a statement to the Patria agency, Obradović says: "The state of healthcare is not good. I would say that such a dysfunctional healthcare system is one of the factors why people are massively leaving Bosnia and Herzegovina. Whoever does not see this is either 'blind' or blindly follows the 'vision' of Sebija Izetbegović, who is at the top of the healthcare pyramid and who has further devalued an already devastated system."

"It should be reminded that the Supervisory Board of the University Clinical Center of Sarajevo, in its illegal composition, elected the general director of KCUS, because the KS Government dismissed and appointed two other members of the Supervisory Board on August 22. To this day, the federal Minister of Health, Vjekoslav Mandić (HDZ BiH), has not delegated this appointment to the FBiH Government, which appoints the Supervisory Board. Clearly, this is a pre-arranged game between HDZ and SDA, in which Sebija Izetbegović represents a vital Bosniak interest, and in return, Dragan Čović gets the positions in power he desires," Obradović stated.

He adds that he does not expect much from the ruling majority in the FBiH Parliament at the thematic session.

"I think they will try to dilute the whole story. In the House of Representatives, there are many quality colleagues from the healthcare sector who can provide good recommendations and conclusions, but the ruling majority will do everything to keep such a sick healthcare system in the hands of those for whom patients are just a cover for some 'savings' and meaningless numbers," Obradović concludes in his statement to Patria. 

In recent days, there has been unofficial talk that Sebija Izetbegović is exerting pressure to prevent the thematic session from being held. However, neither Obradović nor other deputies in the House of Representatives whom we contacted had such information. 

What is certainly expected is the protection of Sebija Izetbegović by the ruling bloc of SDA, HDZ, SBB, DF, and certain independent deputies. 

It is difficult to expect that the aforementioned ruling bloc will care about the expelled doctors who prove their knowledge and skills around the world and treat those who are fortunate enough not to have their healthcare controlled by someone like Sebija Izetbegović. 

Meanwhile, parents will continue to be forced to resort to illegal but necessary actions to ensure healthcare for their children. At the same time, the girl Nadin, and other children, will be forced to fly to a foreign country to fight for their lives. 

And it won't just be children who suffer. Everyone who is not in the good graces of Sebija Izetbegović and her party, whom the said person calls enemies in internal communication at KCUS, will suffer. 

Among those who particularly feel the dictatorial brutality of Sebija Izetbegović are dialysis patients, for whom transplantation means a new life, a new birth. And at KCUS, transplants have almost died out. 

In earlier statements, especially at the end of October, during the strike of members of the Association of Dialysis and Transplanted Patients of FBiH, the president of this Association emphasized that Sarajevo was among the first cities in the region where kidney transplants were performed. Žuljević stated at the time that it was inexplicable how more transplants were performed half a century ago than today in modern times. He also stated that KCUS has all the conditions to perform transplants, but that last year there was not a single cadaveric transplant (transplant from a deceased donor).

Today, in a statement to the Patria agency, Žuljević says he expects the thematic session on healthcare to also address the problems with transplants. 

"I hope that transplants will also be discussed at the session on healthcare. But, we always hope, and nothing is ever achieved. According to my information, there was not a single cadaveric transplant in the entire year 2019. More than two months have passed since our protests. Nothing is being resolved, no one is reacting," Žuljević tells Patrija.

In the healthcare system shaped by Vjekoslav Mandić and Sebija Izetbegović, or rather HDZ and SDA, hope seems to be the only medicine. 

Young people are leaving, doctors are being expelled, heart attacks and malignant diseases are killing those who remain. They refuse to treat children, and they don't want to sign that they won't, so that they can seek medicine abroad.
The peoples and citizens of the Federation of BiH do not need a greater evil. In peacetime, their health is more threatened than it was during the war. 

Therefore, the deputies of the House of Representatives of the Parliament of the Federation of BiH bear an enormous burden of responsibility. If they do not adopt concrete measures and if they do not decide to monitor the implementation of those measures, their session will lose its purpose. In fact, parliamentarism in the Federation will lose its purpose. 

Because, if the highest legislative body of this entity cannot ensure the right to treatment - one of the fundamental human rights, then it does not need to bother ensuring any other rights. There will be no one to use them. 

It will not be easy for the deputies of SDA, HDZ, SBB, DF, and those who call themselves independent to stand against Sebija Izetbegović. But...

The choice between Sebija and the health of the citizens, the people, the voters should not be difficult!