KCUS receives laboratory refrigerator for bone marrow storage

Hypo Alpe Adria Bank donated a vertical laboratory ultra-refrigerator worth BAM 16,426 to the Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology of KCUS today, the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (KCUS) announced, reports the BH News Agency Patria.

A press conference was held in the hall of the Institute for Scientific Research on this occasion, attended by the General Director of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo, Prof. Dr. Damir Aganović, Director of the Marketing and Corporate Communications Department of Hypo Alpe – Adria Bank, Radomir Milošević, Head of the Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology, Prof. Dr. Ismet Gavrankapetanović, and Dr. Mehmed Jamakosmanović from the Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology.

The refrigerator is used for storing bone implants at minus 80 degrees Celsius, and this is medical equipment not available in regular practice.

- This is a professional vertical laboratory ultra-refrigerator. This extremely valuable donation means a lot to us, as it is a basic condition for establishing a bone bank. What is important is the fact that our donor procured the refrigerator based on our specifications and the personal commitment of Dr. Mehmed Jamakosmanović from the Clinic for Orthopedics. Every donation is important to us, including this one, as it is intended for the treatment of our patients – said Aganović. 

According to Radomir Milošević, Director of the Marketing and Corporate Communications Department at Hypo Alpe Adria Bank, the bank implements a savings project and pursues a socially responsible action strategy every year as part of the International Savings Day celebration. As part of the implementation of this project, it was decided this year to support healthcare institutions by donating medical and non-medical equipment.

- The main project of our donation activity this year is today's event. We very easily decided on this donation because, in addition to professional medical staff, it represents one of the essential conditions for establishing a bone tissue bank. If even one patient receives better care thanks to this donation, we consider our mission fulfilled – said Milošević.

This is the first such refrigerator at the Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology and will be located in the premises of the new operating block.

Head of the Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology, Prof. Dr. Ismet Gavrankapetanović, emphasized that thanks to this donation, conditions will be created for treating patients with large bone tissue defects, which is crucial in tumor surgery and revision endoprosthetic surgery, and especially for bone tumor surgery.

- In this way, we have practically created the conditions for treating all complications at our clinic, without the need to transfer patients to another clinic outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina. We are extremely grateful to our donor, as well as to the management of KCUS, which recognized the importance of this refrigerator for the work of our clinic – said Prof. Dr. Ismet Gavrankapetanović.

Dr. Mehmed Jamakosmanović from the Clinic for Orthopedics and Traumatology emphasized that the donated refrigerator is extremely important for the work of the Clinic and the establishment of a bone tissue bank. As he explained, an adequate substitute for bone tissue has not been found so far, and it is extremely important that bone tissue is adequately utilized during standard surgical procedures.

- This bone tissue, after processing and certain laboratory, microbiological, and serological tests, will be stored in this refrigerator and made available to doctors, i.e., patients, during subsequent surgical procedures where the use of bone tissue is necessary – said Dr. Jamakosmanović, reports Patria.