Prof. Dr. Zehra Dizdarević passed away at the age of 82

(Patria) - Prominent pulmonologist Prof. Dr. Zehra Dizdarević passed away on Saturday at the age of 82.

Academician Zehra Dizdarević completed Primary School and High School in Doboj. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sarajevo on November 17, 1966. She passed the specialist exam in Pneumophthisiology at the Clinic for Lung Diseases and TB "Podhrastovi" on November 7, 1974. She passed the subspecialist exam in Allergology and Clinical Immunology on October 5, 1984, in Novi Sad. After passing the specialist exam, she underwent a series of advanced training courses in the field of pulmonology, clinical allergology, and study visits within and outside the former Yugoslavia. She attended postgraduate studies "Fundamentals of Medical Research" in 1978/1979 at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo. Her average grade was 10 after passing all 10 exams. She defended her Master's thesis on February 22, 1980, on the topic "Values of Immunoglobulins and Alpha 1 Antitrypsin in Respiratory Insufficiency in Relation to the Degree of Lung Function Impairment". She defended her doctoral dissertation on March 21, 1984, and received her diploma on September 26, 1984, on the topic: "Justification for Determining Immunoglobulins and Alpha 1 Antitrypsin in the Serum of Patients with Obstructive Lung Diseases and their Potential Diagnostic Significance".

Academician Dizdarević progressed from assistant, associate professor, to full professor at the Department of Internal Medicine - Pneumophthisiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Health Studies, Department of Health Care, where she participated from its founding as a lecturer, associate professor, and full professor for 40 years. Department of Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Sarajevo, as well as the Faculty of Health Studies.

She became a full professor on February 13, 1996, and an emeritus professor on July 14, 2010. From 1991, she worked as an active professor in postgraduate teaching and served as deputy and then head of the clinical track, and head of the department for selected chapters from clinical practice, methodology of clinical research, and open discussions for writing master's theses and doctoral dissertations. She was a full professor of interdisciplinary studies with Prof. Dr. Grebo. She supervised 15 doctoral dissertations, 53 master's theses, and 198 undergraduate theses. She was a full member of the teaching council of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo. She established the Department for Urogenital TB, introduced right heart catheterization, and analyzed lung diseases from clinical, immunological, radiological, and functional perspectives. She was the head of the intensive care unit at the Clinic for Lung Diseases and TB "Podhrastovi", and then the head of the clinic from 1993-2003. She was the director of internal disciplines at the University Clinical Center Sarajevo for 3 years, and then alternately head and deputy. She was one of the participants in the formation of the clinical center in development, and later the University Clinical Center Sarajevo. She served as the Minister of Health of Sarajevo Canton twice, from 1998 to 2000 and from 2003 to 2007. During that period, she established the Chamber of Physicians, Dentists, and Nurses/Technicians. She was a member of the Federal Parliament for two years (1998-2000) and a delegate in the Sarajevo Canton Assembly (2000-2002). She was the president of the Human Rights Commission of the Sarajevo Canton Assembly. She also served as the National Coordinator and Expert Manager for TB and other lung diseases of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, appointed by the Ministry of Health, and later, by the Dayton Agreement, as the National Coordinator and Expert Manager for TB of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina at the WHO (National Coordinator for TB prevention and Expert Manager of TB and Lung Disease in FBiH National Correspondent EURO TB project). She is a member of the Council of Bosniak Intellectuals. She served two terms on the Ethics Committee of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina for research projects. She was the founder and editor-in-chief of the Medical Journal at the University Clinical Center Sarajevo (1994-2008), and served multiple times on the editorial board of the Medical Archives. She was a member of the Assembly of Physicians of Bosnia and Herzegovina and then a member of its presidency (1994-1996). Academician Dizdarević was also the president of the Association of Pulmonologists of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the founder and president of the Respiratory Society of Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2008, and the conceptual leader of the active involvement of the association in the European Respiratory Society, a member of the expert group for the prevention of infectious diseases, the committee for medicines and administration of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, cardiovascular pathology, malignant diseases, and microbiology, and a national correspondent for the EURO TB project and clinical immunology. She activated fluorography through UNHCR and, with her team, fluorographed over 14,000 soldiers in Dobrinja. She participated in the monograph "Healthcare in Besieged Sarajevo" as well as symposia. She was a member of 13 different academies. She wrote 13 monographs, a standard textbook on Pulmonology (university book), Pulmonology for those over 60 years of age, Clinical Propedeutics - chapter on pulmonology (two editions), Clinical Immunology two volumes, publisher ECPD - chapter Asthma-Bronchitis, Glucocorticoids and their application in practice (1994), Clinical Immunology university book, translated the WHO TB handbook (DOTS), Exogenous Allergic Alveolitis with the consent of the Ministry of Health of Moscow. All of the above is indexed. She wrote the informational guide for postgraduate clinical studies at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Sarajevo. She led numerous domestic and international conferences.

Academician Zehra Dizdarević received over 30 domestic awards and commendations, including the Sixth of April Award of the City of Sarajevo in 2004 and the group Sixth of April Award in 2005, and was recognized as the most successful woman in 1997, 2000, and 2001. She received special charters and commendations from the University Clinical Center Sarajevo. Commendations from student associations. Commendations from doctors of Republika Srpska. A commendation from the International League of Humanists. A commendation for securing funds and installing an elevator at the Clinic for Lung Diseases and TB "Podhrastovi" valued at 360,000 KM. She received 10 international awards and commendations.

The funeral of Prof. Dr. Zehra Dizdarević will be held on Saturday, May 10, at 2 PM at the Humka cemetery, and a tevhid will be recited on the same day at 2 PM at the Alipašina Mosque in Sarajevo.