Osijek Health Center during the 1991-1992 war in Croatia

• Published in: Military medicine Vol. 165; no. 12; pp. 929 - 934
• Main Authors: EBLING, Zdravko, SANTO, Tibor, MANDIC, Nikola, GLAVINA, Kresimir, SERIC, Vatroslav, LAUFER, Davor
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Association of Military Surgeons 01.12.2000; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child, Preschool; Community Health Centers - standards; Community Health Centers - utilization; Croatia - epidemiology; Epidemiology; General aspects; Health Services Research; Humans; Medical sciences; Morbidity; Mortality; Organizational Innovation; Population Surveillance; Primary Health Care - standards; Primary Health Care - utilization; Program Evaluation; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Registries; Retrospective Studies; Vaccination - statistics & numerical data; Vaccination - utilization; Warfare; Europe; Croatia; Human; Health system; Conflict; Health; Primary health care; Mortality; Use; Vaccination; Epidemiology; Morbidity; Public health
• ISSN: 0026-4075; 1930-613X
• DOI: 10.1093/milmed/165.12.929

To assess the effectiveness of health services in the city of Osijek during the 1991-1992 war in Croatia, we followed the changes in the utilization of health services, morbidity and mortality, and completion of a vaccination plan during the 2 years of the war. We used a retrospective analysis of data from the Osijek Health Center and the Osijek County Institute of Public Health. The organization of health care during the war followed the concept of integrated health care and the instructions of the Ministry of Health. Visits to primary health care physicians decreased considerably, with a concomitant increase in disease and mortality. The plan for mandatory vaccination was not completed because of the evacuation of preschool and school children. The war changed the mode of health care use, the disease and mortality structure, and the implementation of mandatory vaccination. However, timely education and preparation of the health services to the war situation resulted in an adequate provision of health care to the population.