Protection of Sebija Izetbegović and betrayal of citizens

By Amra Varatanović

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The wife of the SDA president, professor, director, representative, the first among Bosniaks, Sebija Izetbegović, thanks to the political support and bargaining of her husband Bakir Izetbegović, has been sitting in the office of the General Director of KCUS for the second term.  

The departure of doctors, the weakening of KCUS staff, the prohibition of treatment for children, mobbing and pressure, complete control of the healthcare system in KS, the Faculty of Medicine, and part of the University of Sarajevo are not sufficient reasons to question Izetbegović's responsibility. This could happen on January 28, at a thematic session, according to the announced session of the Federal Parliament. The request for this session was submitted two months ago. Speculations are that the session might be cancelled.  

Regardless of the fact that the general director of KCUS is appointed and dismissed by the KCUS Management Board, which has 11 members, the only correct conclusion of the thematic session will be to raise the issue of responsibility and her dismissal. The issue of responsibility should also be raised for the Federal Minister of Health, as well as for the members of the Management Board. This issue will show whether the coalition of SDA, SBB, DF, HDZ BiH is more important than the lives of citizens being treated at KCUS. We previously wrote that SBB and DF did not set any conditions before entering into a coalition with SDA. One of them should certainly have been the issue of the situation at KCUS and Izetbegović's work. SBB and DF could very quickly be declared traitors to the citizens if they side with the majority, and not with the truth about the difficult situation at KCUS.  

One should not forget Sebija Izetbegović's plan to close the General Hospital, which was prevented only thanks to the rebellion of citizens and honorable doctors who refused to transfer to KCUS despite being threatened with job loss. Many of them testified that Izetbegović personally lobbied them to transfer to KCUS because the General Hospital would be closed. When that did not succeed, she began to deplete the General Hospital of staff and resources. Thus, for the needs of KCUS, she took the only DPX device used for measuring bone density from the General Hospital in October 2016, even though the General Hospital had scheduled patients until the end of December 2016. According to Patria's findings, Director Izetbegović was offered the repair of their device, but she refused funds from a BiH company due to "political connotations".   

That political connotations do not bother her when it comes to money is shown by the example that the current KS Government paid a multi-million amount to KCUS. As explained by MP Damir Nikšić, Minister of Health Amela Sofić (DF) paid 7 million KM from the KS Budget to KCUS "blindly, pretending not to understand that it is a serious violation of the law for the Canton not to have its members on the Management Board." He claims that the primary task of Komšić's minister is to ensure and protect the "sovereignty" of the general director of KCUS.  

Although the KS Government appointed two members of the KCUS Management Board on behalf of the co-founder, the KS Government, back in August 2019, they were never appointed to the KCUS Management Board. The Federal Minister of Health Vjekoslav Mandić (HDZ BiH) prevented this, leaving two old members of the Management Board, even though it is evident that they have lost the trust of the KS Government. It was precisely such a Management Board, i.e., without respecting the will of the co-founder and the largest financier of KCUS, that announced and conducted the procedure for Izetbegović's election for her second term as director. Of course, as the first time, she was the only candidate. We are still waiting to see what kind of deal SDA made with HDZ to preserve Izetbegović's position. Whether they will concede on the Election Law, the number of ministers in the FBiH Government (and they already have), the leading position of the Federal Police Administration, or all of the above will be revealed very soon.  

Political connotations did not bother Izetbegović either when, as director of the General Hospital, she received a donation for the maternity ward from the then Prime Minister of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. Perhaps now, as the President of Serbia, we can expect him at the Maternity Ward at Jezero. Someone should just remind him that this maternity ward was shelled from Serbian positions in May 1992, when five babies died, and only through superhuman efforts of the employees were the lives of other babies and mothers saved.

And while Bakir Izetbegović claims that his wife is an excellent manager with good connections who repays debts, introduces order, drives away the lazy, and cares for patients, it would be nice if he then gifted his wife a private hospital so she could manage her own millions, not budget money. She can also do it with Turkish or Arab friends, but without KCUS interfering in private flows.  
Then, as a sovereign ruler in a private hospital, she can decide who can and who cannot be treated, who can and who absolutely cannot be allowed to operate on children who have been waiting for surgical procedures for years. Until that happens, KCUS and patients will continue to suffer until someone gives in first.