Enes Baralic, co-inventor of the ‘Sarafix’, an innovative tool used to save countless limbs from amputation during the Bosnian war, has died aged 84.
Enes Baralic, who co-created a revolutionary external medical fixator that prevented thousands of limb amputations during the siege of Sarajevo, has died aged 84.
During the 1992–1995 Bosnian war, the city endured a 1,425-day siege by Bosnian Serb forces. Amid relentless shelling, local hospitals faced an overwhelming influx of casualties, with nearly 70 per cent suffering severe limb trauma caused by bullets and shrapnel.
As imported medical supplies were rapidly exhausted under
As imported medical supplies were rapidly exhausted under a total humanitarian blockade, two orthopedic surgeons, Dr Sukrija Djozic and Dr Raib Salihefendic, designed a modification for an external fracture fixator.
To manufacture it from raw industrial materials, they partnered with Baralic, a mechanical engineer and factory director at the state-owned industrial conglomerate Energoinvest. The resulting device, named the Sarajevo Wartime Fixator, or “Sarafix”, became a crucial tool for saving shattered limbs from amputation.
More than 4,000 fixators were manufactured inside the besieged city at the Energoinvest facility. As equipment was scarce, devices were routinely recycled and re-sterilized to treat subsequent waves of wounded citizens. The fixators were transported to frontline hospitals
Enes Baralic was an exceptionally creative man,
“Enes Baralic was an exceptionally creative man, a massive patriot, and an outstanding friend,” Dr Djozic told BIRN. “Within just ten to 20 days of receiving our initial concepts, he developed the prototype within his factory division. He was tireless, organising the production and ensuring these devices reached trapped enclaves like Srebrenica, Mostar, and Gorazde through the wartime tunnel. He left a profound mark on our history.”
The “Sarafix” earned international acclaim, winning gold medals at global innovation fairs in Brussels and Geneva in 1995 and 1996.
The city administration officially honoured the three co-creators with the high-profile Sixth of April Award in 2001 for their outstanding contributions to science and humanitarian technology.
Dr Djozic said that the legacy
Dr Djozic said that the legacy of their joint innovation remains permanently preserved across borders.
“I donated one of the original wartime fixators alongside our medals to the Historical Museum in Sarajevo,” he noted.
“Furthermore, a British colleague who volunteered with us later donated another original ‘Sarafix’ to a museum in London, where it remains on display today as a symbol of human ingenuity in the face of total isolation.”
Media reported that Baralic died n Sarajevo on Monday. His funeral was due to be held on Wednesday at the Vlakovo city cemetery in Sarajevo.
Source: balkaninsight.com
