MURAL PAINTED IN TRIBUTE TO BOBAN KUSTURIĆ, A MAN WHO NEVER TURNED DOWN A CALL FOR HELP

TREBINJE, OCTOBER 1 /SRNA/ - A mural has been painted on the building of Trebinje Hospital as a tribute to Boban Kusturić, a longtime pilot and director of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior's Aviation Directorate, a man who never turned down a call for help or said that he could not help, in recognition of everything he did for patients from Trebinje and Herzegovina.

Trebinje Hospital Director Nedjeljko Lambeta expressed hope that the mural would keep the memory of Boban Kusturić and his work alive.

"We painted the mural as a token of gratitude for everything he did for the people of Herzegovina and Trebinje. It will be remembered that he was always there at the first call, whether it was seven in the morning or midnight," Lambeta said.

He reminded that Kusturić took part in numerous helicopter transfers of patients from Trebinje to Banja Luka, Belgrade and Podgorica.

"Most of the calls came from the intensive care unit, following traffic accidents or involving pregnant women. That man never said he could not do it. Even in some situations when conditions were perhaps not ideal, and when it would have been easier to say that weather conditions did not allow it, he would say: ‘I’m waiting for the moment when I get the green light,’ and then set off," Lambeta stressed.

He said the idea for the mural came from the hospital management several months ago, and that the wall next to the Intensive Care Unit was chosen as its location, as numerous patients pass by it after receiving treatment.

Lambeta said the mural was created by Trebinje native Nemanja Dutina and his colleagues, as well as hospital employees with a talent for graphic design, and that Kusturić’s friends and people who knew him also provided input on its content.

Lambeta said he would remember Kusturić as a cheerful, smiling man who knew how to lift his spirits even in the most difficult moments.

He recalled the case of a woman with a high-risk pregnancy and complications during childbirth who could not be adequately treated in Trebinje, and the only solution was to transfer her to the University Clinical Centre of Republika Srpska in Banja Luka. Kusturić immediately responded to the call.

He also recalled the case of a child who was initially transported by helicopter to Podgorica, but it was determined that the necessary treatment could not be provided there due to the child’s bleeding. Kusturić waited and then continued to Belgrade.

"In both cases, thank God, the outcomes were positive. Those people are now running, enjoying life, walking and laughing, all thanks to Boban Kusturić and his Helicopter Service," Lambeta said.

He also thanked the people who now work in the Aviation Directorate of the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior.

"Whenever Trebinje Hospital made a call for assistance, whether it was the director, a doctor, or a member of the medical staff calling, they never refused to help. They are always at our disposal. A big thank you for everything they do for Trebinje, Herzegovina, and the whole of Republika Srpska," Lambeta said.