Prof. Dr. Binak S. Kastrati, MD. PhD

Prof. Dr. Binak S. Kastrati, MD. PhD, doctor, an obstetrician-gynecologist, doctor of medical sciences and professor, was born on August 1, 1938, in Dobërdol, Peja. He came from a family with patriotic traditions. He completed his primary education in his hometown and high school in Peja. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Belgrade in 1964. After completing his studies, he returned to Peja, becoming one of the first Albanian doctors in the region. He specialized in obstetrics and gynecology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Zagreb. Upon completion of his specialization, he returned to Peja as the first Albanian gynecologist.

From 1968 to 1969, he served as a deputy in the Assembly of the Autonomous Socialist Province of Kosova, where he, along with other deputies, initiated the establishment of the Faculty of Medicine in Prishtina to address the dire health conditions in Kosova, which at that time had only 59 Albanian doctors. He later became a lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine in Prishtina and, in 1973, joined the University’s Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic. He pursued postgraduate studies at the University of Belgrade and earned his doctorate at the Faculty of Medicine in Prishtina in November 1985, where he was appointed as an assistant professor in obstetrics and gynecology and later as an associate professor.

Prof. Kastrati was a signatory of the “Appeal of the 215 Intellectuals of Kosova.” He served as Vice Dean for Education at the Albanian Faculty of Medicine from 1991 to 1997 and chaired the Association of Albanian Doctors of Kosova from 1990 to 1999. In 1990, he was forcibly removed from his position by Serbian authorities. Throughout his career, he actively raised awareness of the Albanian cause, representing Kosova in various European and international forums. In 1990, he established the “Besa” Obstetrics-Gynecology and Pathology Clinic, which became an educational institution for Albanian students to practice gynecology and pathological anatomy.

In 1996, Prof. Kastrati contributed to the opening of the “Mother Teresa” Maternity Hospital in Prishtina, where over 13,000 births and more than 1,000 surgeries were performed, all provided free of charge. During the Kosova Liberation War, he organized medical teams to care for the population and the wounded. In June 1999, he returned to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine, contributing significantly to the restoration of professional and scientific work. Prof. Kastrati’s professional dedication and commitment to national issues inspired generations of doctors in Kosova. He remains a figure in the historical memory of Kosovar medicine as a physician, humanist, brave patriot, devoted expert, and professor to many generations of doctors and specialists. He passed away in Prishtina on January 1, 2020.