Medical evacuations from the region of former Yugoslavia: The experience of 2 years

In September 1992, the International Organization for Migration(IOM), an intergovernmental humanitarian organization basedin Geneva, Switzerland, implemented the special medical programme(SMP) for the medical evacuation of war victims in former Yugoslavia.For inclusion into the SMP, patients must be victims of war,suffer from a serious medical condition with a favourable prognosis,not treatable locally, be stable enough to survive air traveland withstand delay between medical documentation and actualevacuation. As of August 1994,1,484 patients In need of secondarytreatment not locally available were evacuated to hospitalsin 31 countries. Most patients suffered from fractures, amputationsand nerve injuries. Seventy-two per cent originated from Bosnia-Herzegovina.This paper discusses various problems encountered, such as bureaucraticobstacles, ongoing armed conflict hampering humanitarian activities,lack of funding and the effects of the sustained media attention.