Juraj Njavro

Juraj Njavro (2 July 1938 – 15 September 2008) was a Croatian medical doctor and politician.

Juraj Njavro
1st Minister of Family, Veterans' Affairs and Intergenerational solidarity
In office 19 December 1997 – 27 January 2000
Prime Minister	Zlatko Mateša
Preceded by	Office established
Succeeded by	Ivica Pančić
Minister of Health
In office 12 August 1992 – 13 October 1993
Prime Minister	Hrvoje Šarinić (1992–1993) Nikica Valentić (1993)
Preceded by	Andrija Hebrang
Succeeded by	Andrija Hebrang
Personal details
Born	2 July 1938 Neum, Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Died	15 September 2008 (aged 70) Zagreb, Croatia
Political party	Croatian Democratic Union
Alma mater	University of Zagreb (School of Medicine)

Njavro was born in Cerovica, near Neum in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina). He attended elementary school here and gymnasium in Dubrovnik, Croatia.[1]

He served as a surgeon Vukovar's hospital during the city's intense siege within the Croatian War of Independence.[2] He continued to work in the hospital right up until the fall of the city to Serb forces.[3] Njavro was subsequently imprisoned and taken to the Sremska Mitrovica camp in Serbia.[2] In late 1991 Njavro was released as part of a prisoner exchange.[1]

He took part in Croatia's first post-independence parliamentary elections in 1992 and was elected as a member of the Croatian Democratic Union. From August 12, 1992 to October 12, 1993 he served as Croatia's Minister of Health.[4] He served as a minister without portfolio from October 12, 1993 to November 7, 1995, won reelection in 1995, and served again without portfolio from November 13, 1996 to December 19, 1997.[5][6] From December 19, 1997 to January 27, 2000 he served as Minister of Defenders from the Homeland War.[6] He was reelected again in 2000 and retired in 2003.[7]

Njavro wrote a book about his internment during the war entitled Glava dolje, ruke na leđa. After his retirement he served as the president of the Association of Croatian volunteer doctors 1990-1991.[7]

He died on September 15, 2008 in Zagreb and was buried in the city's Mirogoj Cemetery.[8]

References

1. Juraj Njavro (70) has died, hero of the Vukovar hospital
2. Juraj Njavro has died
3. Former minister, MP Juraj Njavro dies
4. Fourth Government of Croatia
5. Fifth Government of Croatia
6. Sixth Government of Croatia
7. Dr. Vesna Bosanac: dr. Njavro was a special doctor, man and humanist
8. The legendary doctor of Vukovar Juraj Njavro was buried in Mirogoj