The Government of the Czech Republic began supporting the development of vascular surgery in B&H eight years ago on the basis of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Embassy of the Czech Republic in B&H, the Czech Development Agency, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of the Republic of Srpska, the University Hospital Clinical Centre Banjaluka, the Clinical Centre of the University of Sarajevo and the General Hospital in Foca. Signing of the Memorandum defined the scope of the project entitled „Support to capacity building and technical assistance for vascular surgery in Bosnia and Herzegovina“.

Within the implementation of this complex project which consists of several phases (University Hospital Clinical Centre received valuable equipment twice, including ultrasound device, universal retractor, set of surgical instruments and a very significant intraoperative blood salvage device which should be delivered by the end of 2014), it was agreed that our vascular surgeons would be educated in the top-ranked hospitals in Brno and Prague, in the country which is well-known for vascular surgery.

During the first phase of education in the Czech Republic, all specialists in vascular surgery from the UH CC BL were educated, all six of them including one nurse. Our physicians were exceptionally pleased with the quality of training and education in the Czech Republic, as well as with new technologies and procedures. Apart from the fact the new technologies and procedures were presented to them, they also had the opportunity to master them. On the other hand, according to the words of Ivana Pejic Povolna who visited the UH Clinical Centre Banja Luka on behalf of the Czech Development Agency in December 2013,CzDA recognized the efforts of the UH CC BL directed towards the development of vascular surgery within the project that was also supported by the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.

Taking into account that education is one of the most important components of the project that supports the development of vascular surgery in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in December 2013, it was basically agreed that physicians and nurses should continue to take part in the educational trainings.

Plans of our vascular surgeons are directed towards further development and improvement of endovascular surgery which is well known as a very demanding surgical discipline that requires a lot of patience and effort. Therefore, it has been decided that, in this phase of education, two young physicians, residents in vascular surgery will be dispatched to the Czech Republic to undergo additional educational trainings. During two month of educational trainings that will start on November 17th, the residents will try to become additionally specialized in the field of endovascular surgery.