Feature
Escape from Sarajevo The Dedic family has been through trials of fire to make their way to Perth and become the doctors they were always meant to be.
Grandmother Mrs Ismeta Cekro, father Pasko, mother Jasminka at Deila’s UWA Graduation
There’s a strong strand of medicine within the Dedic family and the story is set against the backdrop of one of the bloodiest chapters in the history of modern warfare. Pasko, Jasminka and their daughter Deila escaped the siege of Sarajevo to forge careers as doctors on the other side of the world.
Pasko’s Story “It was a terrible time in Sarajevo during the early stages of the war. I managed to get my family to Croatia and then on to Italy, they were terrified by the bombing and there was no water or electricity and very little food. Everything was broken and trying to work as a cardiologist at the hospital consisted of a basic physical examination and checking a pulse.” “Looking back, it’s hard to imagine that this was medicine in the early 1990s!” “I managed to get out after spending two years working in the hospital and fighting the Serbs. People were being killed every day and eight died in our block of flats alone. It was difficult to stay in touch with Jasminka, in fact we had to use short-wave radio but I never lost hope.” “To escape the conflict, you had to do it secretly because if you were caught you could be tried
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as a traitor. I was lucky enough to get a fake identity card stating that I was a journalist and flew out on a French military aircraft. It was a mixture of happiness and sorrow looking out the window and leaving my country behind.” “I had some connections in Germany with the College of Cardiologists and my initial plan was for my family to join me there. But they were difficult times, I couldn’t get residency and we all came to Perth. Suddenly, after being a cardiology consultant it was no job, no income and we didn’t speak much English at all.” “We were starting again, from below zero!” “I was offered jobs working in a restaurant kitchen peeling potatoes but was determined to get back into medicine. After passing the initial exams in 1998 I got a job as a junior doctor two years later at Hollywood. I’ll probably do a few more years in the public system and continue as a private consultant as long as my skills are needed.” “I like to think that cardiologists are like a good red wine, we get better with age!”
MEDICAL FORUM