16.11.2015.
Serbian military doctors saved my life
The second rotation of the Serbian contingent in the MINUSCA peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic for the fifth month has successfully performed the tasks set in the operation whose "peacekeeping" increasingly resembles its "imposition", especially after 26 September, when in the capital, where the security situation is most often described as "unstable, with the possibility of deterioration," conflicts escalated. In such circumstances, the Serbian level 2 military hospital, with a significantly increased number of patients, especially those with injuries from firearms and explosives, realizes its "mission in the mission." Serbian medical team consists of 13 specialists and sub-specialists, 31 medical technicians and three paramedics. The total number of patients in four months (from 25 June, when the second rotation started) was at the staggering number for a peacekeeping mission of 3,763, which is already more than in six months of the first rotation. Commander of the hospital Colonel Zoran Dimovic, points out that 313 cases of malaria were treated, of which 90 were severe forms, without a single fatal outcome, and many injuries have been rehabilitated, and infectious and non-infectious diseases.
One of the patients that have been successfully cured of malaria in the Serbian hospital is Brazilian Eduardo Braga de Souza, Head of Section in the Department of Security (UN DSS), who states that a year ago, after a month stay in the Central African Republic, he contracted this serious disease.
- It was one of the worst cases of malaria seen here and I can freely say that the Serbian doctors saved my life. They did a great job, and here I am, again, on duty. I am glad that I have the support of Serbian physicians and the entire Serbian team, and we generally work very closely not only with the Serbian hospital, but also with the command, with which we have great communication and exchange of security information - says Eduardo, who is very popular among the Serbian peacekeepers, and who spends nearly every Saturday afternoon in "Morava" base, in the company of friends from Serbia.
Aside from former patients, colleagues, foreign doctors also have a lot of positive impressions about the Serbian medical team. At the reception ward of the hospital, we met Captain Dr. Merlen Doumtsop from Cameroon, a physician at the police component of MINUSCA, who says that many of his patients reported that they were satisfied with the reception and the attitude of staff in the Serbian military hospital.
- These people need to be understood, this is their first time outside the country and they are scared when they see a doctor, especially a foreign one. However, the way the Serbs welcome them, calm and support them is special, and they are very happy about it, and I am here to also confirm a very high level of expertise and professionalism of th Serbian medical team - Dr. Doumtsop says.
Chief personnel of MINUSCA visited the hospital in early July, supported its full equipping and expressed satisfaction with the level of medical service provided to members of the UN.
Vladimir Vjestic
