Layoffs begin at General Hospital: Izetbegović prepares ground for merger with UKCS

The plan to merge the General Hospital „Prim.dr. Abdulah Nakaš“ with UKCS is already well underway, despite the fact that the working group appointed by the FBiH Government has not yet given an official opinion on the justification of integrating the two hospitals into one, writes the Bosnian news agency Patria.

As the Patria agency learns, there is general panic at the General Hospital, and workers whose contracts expired before the New Year have not had their employment extended.

According to workers, there is already talk of closing certain departments, with orthopedics expected to be the first to close, followed by gynecology.

However, employees are outraged at director Sebija Izetbegović, who wants to take the helm of UKCS at any cost, even if it means sacrificing the General Hospital, and they rightly wonder what will become of them. 

- Begovica has already made a list of people who will move with her to UKCS. People are already being gotten rid of, and no one asks how they will survive. The strange thing in this whole story is that there is no agreement at all on the merger of the two hospitals, yet she is already preparing the ground. This means she already knows it will be approved – says Patria's source from this hospital.

We recall, Izetbegović had previously wanted to take the helm of UKCS, but failed on two occasions, and she has now decided to achieve her wish on the third attempt by force.

The first step was the dismissal of members of the UKCS Board of Directors and the appointment of suitable members bypassing the competition procedure. Patria previously reported that a large number of UKCS Board members are closely connected either to Izetbegović herself or to the SDA, which is led by her husband Bakir Izetbegović.

The second step was the formation of a working group to develop a plan and analysis for the unification of the two hospitals. The working group consists of Zilha Ademaj, Minister of Health of the Sarajevo Canton, Sebija Izetbegović, Director of the General Hospital, Enra Suljić, Acting Director of UKCS, Edita Kalajdžić, Secretary of the FBiH Government, Snježana Bodnaruk (FMZ), Safeta Borovac (ZZO KS) (removed due to term expiration), Muvedeta Butmir-Čedić (General Hospital), Alma Pehlić (UKCS Board), Amra Karić (UKCS Board and UKCS employee) and Sanela Adžović (FBiH Government).

We recall, upon taking over the General Hospital, Izetbegović brought in loyal people and established a reign of terror among employees. She also did everything to diminish the legacy left behind by surgeon Abdulah Nakaš, who during the aggression did everything to ensure the wounded and sick received necessary care. The citizens of Sarajevo expressed their gratitude through an initiative to add his name to the General Hospital, which was done in 2006.