[Activity, organization and experience of the emergency service in Gorazde from May 1992 until the signing of the Dayton Peace Agreement].

Good organisation of health protection wards is an essential precondition for a quick and efficient health service. The beginning of the aggression in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Gorazde itself in May 1992 brings Gorazde under siege preventing supply of any movement of people as well as medical material, equipment and staff, especially surgeons. Under such conditions the whole activity is carried out in the Emergency Ward and it becomes reception, triage and reanimation ward of the War Hospital with an organised part for operations of the patients (4-6 beds). The work is organised in teams of two doctors; two nurses and one assistant with constant engagement of lab, X-ray diagnostics, transfusion service and when the conditions for it were fulfilled also the consultancy of surgeons. According to data from the doctor's protocol in this ward from 4, May 1992 to 31, December 1992 there were 49,285 patients among which 4,771 or 9.67% were wounded. Also from the protocol of operations it is clear that from 21 September, 1992 the number of 712 wounded were operated or 14.9% of the total number of wounded people. From these informations we see that among 16 wounded that came to this ward on daily basis 15 of them were treated in this ward and 1 was sent to the operation theatre. Except from normal activities the doctors in this ward were engaged as court experts, visited the prison, teachers in first aid training and self-aid of civilians and members of the Army and at the periods of aggressors offensives they were treating all sick people because other wards were not working. Thanks to well organised activity and professionalism of the workers a great number of patients were treated, a great number of the badly wounded were prepared for the operation theatre. In that manner the work of surgeons was much easier and better results of the treatment were achieved.