Have you heard of Dr. Hanifa Osmanovic? It is said there are very few people from the Podrinje region who didn’t know Dr. Osmanovic. She was born in Zvornik during WWII. While she was still in her mother’s womb, her father Ibrahim (Abraham) was taken by Chetnik forces and killed in the most gruesome way.
During the aggression on Bosnia in the 1990’s, Dr. Osmanovic was part of a team of brave doctors and medical staff from Zvornik, Kalesija and Tuzla, who for almost four years worked in extremely difficult conditions, taking care of wounded soldiers, civilians and refugees. They operated in improvised clinics and burned homes. Dr. Osmanovic was often seen treating the wounded on the front lines.
Her desire to help victims of the war took her to Mostar, at a time when its citizens lived under constant shelling from heavy artillery. She continued her struggle after the war, fighting for the rights of families of war veterans.
Dr. Osmanovic was a devout Muslim and a Hajji. She spent her final days in Sarajevo, firm in her belief that the highest award for the work a person does comes from the Almighty.
She passed away in March 2020.