Medicine International

Medicine International (MI) worked with the International Medical Corps (IMC) Emergency Medicine Project in a collaborative effort in Zenica, Bosnia to raise the standards of acute medical care in a 1300 -bed trauma hospital between January 1995 and May 1996. Medicine International committed a total of eight physicians to rotate through Bosnia: Jon Stanger, Mark Stinson, Herb Sigmond, Michael Mouri, Stuart Forman, Steve Maron, John Pabers, and Suzan Goodman. Their mission was to create an emergency medicine residency to better serve the needs of Bosnian military and civilian population.

Dr. Steve Maron became the medical director of the project. His wife, Suzanna, is a certified ultrasonographer, and brought ultrasound equipment to the district hospital in Zenica (900 beds) and instituted a training program for Bosnian health professionals. Approximately 100 war injured were treated daily during the height of hostilities. Acuity eventually decreased to 40-50 patients per day with cessation of hostilities representing severe trauma from motor vehicle accidents, burns, gunshot wounds and land mine injuries.

Three to six residents were actively training in the emergency department at all times. The emergency medicine residency followed American standards.

We welcomed the opportunity to extend our expertise beyond teaching and supervising to writing, editing and formulating revisions in the current Bosnian emergency medical systems (EMS) in cooperation with the Health Minister.