"Eurotransplant at Mostar University Clinical Hospital: First Kidney Transplant Signals Important Progress"

A Eurotransplant delegation, led by Supervisory Board Chairman Dirk van Raemdonck and Executive Director André Materne, visited Mostar University Clinical Hospital as part of a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina taking place from 16 to 19 June.

Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Civil Affairs, Dubravka Bošnjak, joined the delegation for a meeting with the hospital's director Ante Kvesić, physicians, and transplant coordinators.

The visit comes at a significant moment for the hospital, which performed its first-ever kidney transplant in May. Representatives of Eurotransplant described this achievement as an important sign of progress in the development of transplant medicine in Bosnia and Herzegovina. During a tour of the Intensive Care Unit, operating theatres, and the Department of Nephrology, discussions focused on donor system development models and the technical criteria required for integration into Eurotransplant.

For the past two years, Bosnia and Herzegovina has been engaged in intensive discussions with Eurotransplant regarding possible participation in the organisation's network, which connects eight European countries and coordinates the international allocation of organs for transplantation. A key step in this process is the Training and Test Agreement (TTA). In November last year, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which plays a coordinating role in the process, forwarded the agreement to the relevant entity-level ministries and the Brčko District authorities for further consideration. The agreement enables transplant centres from Bosnia and Herzegovina to establish links with centres within Eurotransplant and creates the possibility for the country to join the system in a limited capacity while simultaneously working towards fulfilling all requirements for full membership.

"The Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a coordinating role, while operational responsibilities in healthcare rest with the entities and the Brčko District. This is precisely why cooperation among all levels of government, healthcare institutions, and medical professionals is essential if we are to build a functional and sustainable transplant system," said Bošnjak.

During their visit to Mostar, Eurotransplant representatives also delivered expert presentations on the experiences of member countries and the standards that candidate countries must establish in order to become part of the network. Eurotransplant Supervisory Board Chairman Dirk van Raemdonck presented organisational models applied in member states to physicians and healthcare managers. In his lecture, "What Eurotransplant Could Mean for Bosnia and Herzegovina," Van Raemdonck highlighted the importance of an effective donor identification system, coordination among transplant centres, and international organ exchange.

Ante Kvesić, Director of Mostar University Clinical Hospital, said that the visit of the Eurotransplant delegation represents further confirmation of the progress the hospital has achieved in recent years, as well as encouragement for the continued development of its transplant programme.

"The first kidney transplant we successfully performed is the result of years of dedicated work, investment in equipment, and the education and training of specialist staff. Our goal is to continue developing transplant medicine in Mostar and to ensure that patients from this part of Bosnia and Herzegovina have access to top-quality healthcare," Kvesić said.

According to him, cooperation with Eurotransplant could open new opportunities for domestic medical professionals, but above all for patients for whom transplantation represents a new chance at life.

Participants in the meetings held in Mostar identified the development of the transplant system as one of Bosnia and Herzegovina's key healthcare priorities and expressed their readiness to continue joint activities aimed at strengthening the capacities of domestic healthcare institutions as the country moves closer to full membership in Eurotransplant.