Vlajnic Zdravko

1939-2015

It is with regret that we inform all employees in the University Hospital Clinical Centre Banja Luka and all the citizens of the death of our respected colleague Professor Zdravko Vlajnic MD, PhD who passed away on January 10th, 2015. He spent sixteen years holding the position of Head of the Department of Traumatology within Surgical Clinic. For three years, he worked as Head of Orthopaedic and Trauma Clinic.

Professor Zdravko Vlajnic MD, PhD was born in Kozarska Dubica on July 27th, 1939. He spent World War II at Kozara Mountain. He finished primary school and Junior High School in Kozarska Dubica in 1954. In 1958, he finished Senior High School. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine on October 11th, 1963 in Belgrade. He held the position of general practitioner in Health Centres in Gradiska and Prijedor. In 1968, he started his residency training in Traumatology and Orthopaedic Surgery on voluntary basis. During afternoon hours, he worked as a lecturer in the Medical High School in Banja Luka.

In 1970, he started General Surgery residency training and completed it on April 15th, 1974 in Belgrade. After completing his residency training, he worked in the Department of Traumatology of the Surgical Clinic in Banja Luka. In 1977, he started his postgraduate course in Traumatology at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade and finished it in 1979.  He defended his master thesis entitled “Comparative analyses of particular methods in treatment of lower leg fracture“ on April 30th, 1980 at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. He defended his doctoral thesis entitled „Open fractures of the lower-leg-diaphysis as a therapeutic problem“ on July 8th, 1982 at the Faculty of Medicine in Belgrade. In 1983, he was appointed a Senior Assistant at the Department of Surgery of the Faculty of Medicine in Banja Luka. On March28th, 1988, he was appointed Assistant Professor of Surgery with 28 published papers (7 papers of special interest, 10 professional papers and 11 congress announcements). In 1993, he was appointed Associate Professor of Surgery and War Surgery. In 2003, he was appointed Full Professor. After his appointment, he published 21 papers (8 of special interest, 7 professional papers and 6 congress announcements). He deservedly retired in 2004. In 1992, he wrote a monograph “Functional treatment of fractures – the Sarmiento method “. It was published by Svjetlost Sarajevo.

During academic year 2001/2002 he held the position of Head of Department of Surgery at the Faculty of Medicine in Banja Luka. Several years earlier, he also held the position of the Head of Department of Physiatry. After he was appointed Professor, he published two books: Trauma practicum (supplementary course book for students of medicine) and Diabetic foot diseases (monograph).

Until 2007, he was employed at the Faculty of Medicine in Banjaluka. He published 5 scientific papers, 4 professional papers and 11 congress announcements. For the next five years, he worked for the Apeiron University where he published a course book entitled „Care of surgical patients“.

On May 25th, 2012, he was awarded the honorary title of Professor Emeritus.

Everybody who used to know Zdravko also knew that he appreciated work and respected all team members. He organized gatherings with employees on a regular basis and made his efforts in order for his colleagues to participate in educational trainings. Despite difficult working conditions, countless hours of work, especially during Defensive and Patriotic War and in spite of the fact that he was pushed to the limits of endurance, he did not spend a day of sick leave in his entire career. During the war, he worked in war hospital in Doboj.

Numerous colleagues remember the sound of music in his operating theatre and that he used to spread a good mood and optimism.

Zdravko Vlajnic is survived by his wife Zdenka, his son Boris, daughter Sanja who is also a physician and three grandchildren.

A commemorative session on the occasion of death of Professor Zdravko Vlajnic MD, PhD will be held on Monday, January 12th, 2015 at 11:00 a.m. in the Amphitheatre of the Faculty of Medicine in Banja Luka (Paprikovac location, Maternity Building, ground floor). A funeral will take place on the same day at 1:00 p.m. at the Rebrovac Cemetery in Banja Luka.