For months, the residents of the settlement in the Vareš area have been pointing to the increased presence of lead in the blood of dozens of tested persons and asking the authorities to determine the exact cause, but apart from the formation of a multidisciplinary expert team, there are no concrete results.
The case of the Zenica Ironworks showed that even when there is evidence of polluted soil – and consequently a large number of people suffering from oncological diseases, the authorities did not do enough to protect the environment and citizens.
What is the cause of the increase in the number of oncology patients in Bosanski Petrovac is a question that has been occupying the local population lately and causing them concern. While some look for the causes of illness in their personal life stories, others associate them with water, soil or other environmental factors.
But research that could confirm or reject such suspicions has never been conducted.
In the story from Bosanski Petrovac, we check what the citizens, the profession and the competent institutions say about it, and then we will discuss how much the citizens can generally trust the competent institutions when it comes to protecting their health, if someone else’s interest, personal or corporate, is in the background.
In a place known for its clean air, forests and healthy lifestyle, disease has become part of everyday life.
Between oncology treatments, Enes Mešinović takes care of sheep and tries to live as normally as possible.
His story is just one of dozens of stories about cancer in Bosanski Petrovac. While residents offer different explanations, there is no answer to the question of why so many people are suffering from the vicious disease.
Exact medical data for the year 2024 show that Bosanski Petrovac recorded the highest incidence rate of new cancer patients in the Una-Sana Canton. As many as 87 oncology patients are currently registered in this local community with less than five thousand inhabitants. Despite these dark statistics and the justified fear of citizens who suspect water and soil pollution, a comprehensive investigation that could confirm or definitively reject these suspicions was never conducted in Bosanski Petrovac.
Tonight at 20:00 in “Overjeno” magazine on the O channel, watch the entire documentary about the testimonies and challenges faced by cancer patients in the area of Bosanski Petrovac.
