Minister Bošnjak with Eurotransplant leadership: Need to accelerate development of transplant system in BiH

(Patria) – Minister of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Dubravka Bošnjak, today in Sarajevo spoke with a delegation of Eurotransplant, the leading European organisation for coordination and exchange of donated organs for transplantation, led by the Chairman of the Supervisory Board Prof. Dr. Dirk van Raemdonck and General Director Dr. André Matera.

This is the second official visit of high representatives of Eurotransplant to Bosnia and Herzegovina, confirming the continuity of cooperation and joint commitment to further development of the transplant system in the country.

Minister Bošnjak emphasised that the development of transplant medicine is one of the key issues of the healthcare system of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as it directly demonstrates the system's ability to save lives and improve the quality of life of patients. Progress primarily depends on strengthening domestic capacities, requiring more active engagement of competent ministries of health, strengthening existing transplant programmes, better coordination among healthcare institutions, and continuous education of medical staff as a prerequisite for further development of transplant medicine in the country.

During the talks, it was confirmed that the proposal for the Training and Tutoring Agreement (TTA), which Eurotransplant submitted to Bosnia and Herzegovina in November last year, represents an important transitional mechanism for strengthening the professional capacities of transplant centres from Bosnia and Herzegovina through education, exchange of experiences, and adoption of European standards, and provides an opportunity for connecting transplant centres from BiH with Eurotransplant, while simultaneously fulfilling prerequisites for future full membership.

One of the topics of the meeting was also the European regulation in the field of substances of human origin (SoHO), which sets new standards of quality, safety, and oversight in this area. The interlocutors assessed that the activities Bosnia and Herzegovina is undertaking in transplant medicine should be viewed in the broader context of alignment with the modern European approach to managing SoHO systems and developing sustainable models of voluntary organ donation.

Minister Bošnjak thanked the leadership of Eurotransplant for their continuous support and partnership approach towards Bosnia and Herzegovina. Representatives of Eurotransplant welcomed the engagement of the Ministry of Civil Affairs of BiH in initiating this process, maintaining institutional dialogue, and connecting competent health institutions in the country.

The meeting in Sarajevo marked the beginning of a working visit of the Eurotransplant delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 16 to 19 June, during which further steps for strengthening the transplant system, developing organ donation, and aligning with European standards in transplant medicine will be discussed.

During their visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Eurotransplant delegation will today visit the University Clinical Hospital Mostar and tomorrow the University Clinical Centre Tuzla, where they will familiarise themselves with existing transplant capacities and hold expert meetings and lectures for medical staff.