Original scientific paper
Transformation of Health Services from Civilian to Wartime Medical Corps – Example from Bosnia and Herzegovina
A. Kvesić
Š. Vučkov
I. Bagarić
A. Hebrang
Z. Rebac
Z. Tomašić
Z. Lončar
Abstract
In the multiethnic Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croats and Muslims, attacked by the Yugoslav
army and Serbs, had to employ rationally their poorly provisioned civilian health
services so that they could respond to the extremely numerous and prompt needs of war
conditions. The health services in the areas controlled by Croats and Muslims had to be
reorganized twice because of sudden changes of wartime conditions.With further development
of the situation, when all three sides participated in the conflict, the number of
wounded increased rapidly. In the meantime, a large-scale population shift on an ethnic
basis occurred in all parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, thus giving rise, along with a
greater number of the wounded, to a severe humanitarian crisis. Civilians were therefore
another heavy burden to the wartime health services. This created enormous problems for
the inadequately provisioned health services of Bosnia and Herzegovina in the area under
the control of Croats and Muslims. However, poorly equipped with personnel as well as
everything else, the health services in the area controlled by Croats and Muslims, through
appropriate reorganization, successfully accomplished their task in the wartime medical
corps. Besides this correctly executed transformation from civilian health services into a
wartime medical corps, high motivation of medical staff also greatly contributed to successful
operation of the medical corps in the war zone despite the long duration of the war.
In the majority of cases, the wounded were within 30–40 minutes from the moment of injury
in the hands of a surgical team and within the next ten minutes were already in the
operating theater. After primary wound dressing, the wounded were sent to one of the
well-organized main war hospitals for further treatment. This resulted, along with secure
evacuation routes, in a minimum number of lifelong invalidity among the wounded.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
28283
URI
Publication date:
16.12.2002.
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