Organization and Work of the War Hospital in Sturba Near the Town of Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The work of the Croatian Defense Council (armed forces of the Croatian citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina) War Hospital at Sturba, outskirts of the town of Livno, is described. The hospital was established in the beginning of April and worked until September 1992. It provided services for the battlefield of approximately 100 km of a very difficult mountainous terrain. The hospital was situated in a concrete dugout taken from the Yugoslav Federal Army. It was well equipped and supplied exclusively by numerous donations. Medical personnel were recruited partly from local medical professionals and partly from volunteers from Croatia. During the 5-month period, 597 patients (571 soldiers and 26 civilians) were admitted. A total of 314 operations, 141 in general and 173 in regional anesthesia, were performed. None of the patients died in the hospital. There was not a single epidemic either among soldiers or civilians in the area