[Portrait of Dr Milenko Petrović (1884-1950)].
Dr Milenko Petrović was one of the very distinguished physicians in the history of Sombor city, who significantly contributed to the development of health care in Voivodina. His father Dimitrije was a professor in the High Teacher-training School in Sombor, recognized writer and politician of his epoch. He was born in Sombor in 1884, where he was educated and finished grammar school. For medical studies he moved to Budapest as a boarder of the famous Tekelianum, and graduated in 1908. He started specialisation in surgery, but being a great patriot he voluntarily recruited in the Serbian army to fight in Balkan liberation wars against Turkey. For his excellent work as a war surgeon he obtained many recognitions. After completing specialization in surgery in Debrecin, he returned to his native city Sombor, where he intended to practice as a physician, but because af the outbreak of the first world he was mobilized and sent to the front in Galicia. After the war he again returned to Sombor where he was immediatelly nominated for the main county physician and then begins his fruitful many year's work on the establishment and promotion of the health care in Sombor and broader territory. As the main county phsician he initiated the foundation and construction of the hospital in Sombor, because of high mortality rate among children, and spreading of contagious diseases like tuberculosis and trachoma. The construction of the hospital was completed in 1925 and Dr. Petrović was appointed its first director and this duty he performed for many years till the World War 2 in 1941. Under his management the hospital in Sombor became one of the best quality hospitals in the country and gave a big contribution to the promotion of health of the inhabitants of Voivodina. In spite of his extensive duties in the hospital. Dr. Milenko Petrović was very much engaged in social work, as the president of library "Laza Kosti ć". in the Soko association, Fire brigade, Rotary club, and he was a collaborator in the Red cross, Adriatic guard, and in Church community. Since 1930 he worked as a professor of Hygiene in the High Teacher-training School, just like his father. He was arrested and persecuted not only during the Seecond World War, but after the war as well by communist authorities, because he was regarded as nationalist, monarchist, and anticommunist. He died unrecognized in 1950, and now finally came the time for objective evaluation and recognition of his valuable professsional work.
Matica srpska, Novi Sad.
Leposava
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Kljaić
Radoslav
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Borota
D013502:General Surgery / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000266:history*; D015022:Yugoslavia