On Monday 17 April 2006, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), through the Swedish Medical Programme (SMP), donated medical equipment for advanced eye surgery, worth 30,000 KM, to the Sarajevo Eye Clinic at the University Clinic Center Sarajevo.

Dr. Amila Alikadić-Husović, Director of the University Eye Clinic, accepted the donation on behalf of the University Clinic. She stressed that the excellent cooperation with IOM was providing necessary equipment to enable doctors at the clinic to perform advanced eye surgeries, especially vitreoretinal surgery. “Today’s donation continues nine years of cooperation between the Eye Clinic in Sarajevo and IOM’s Swedish Medical Programme,” said Dr. Alikadić-Husović.

Patients in Bosnia and Herzegovina now have access to surgical procedures that used to require treatment abroad. Ten years ago there were no centres for vitreoretinal surgery in the country, but with donations of equipment and training from the SMP the Eye Clinic at the University Clinic Center Sarajevo now performs 3-4 vitreoretinal surgeries per week.

In addition to donations of equipment, doctors from Bosnia and Herzegovina have received training in Sweden and Swedish specialists have visited Bosnia and Herzegovina to conduct training sessions and perform surgeries with local doctors.

IOM, through the Swedish Medical Programme at the University Hospital in Linköping, has been building the capacity of both the Sarajevo and Banja Luka ophthalmology clinics for nearly a decade.