Treatment of Post-War Traumas
"Medica" - Four Years of Work
AIM Zenica, 3 April, 1997
In the next few days it is going to be exactly four years of operation of the Centre for Women Therapy called "Medica". The project initiated in 1993 by Monica Hauzer, has outgrown its initial intention and transformed into one of the most significant institutions for offering psychological, medical, social and professional help to traumatized women. At a press conference held on the occasion, results of four years of work of the Zenica "Medica" were summarized.
According to the words of Hana Vuckovic, "Medica" is at present registered as a women's association and it is a complex institution which organizes its acticities in nine segments, among which are the psycho-social, medical, administrative, informative and technical, and others.
The field in which "Medica" achieved the best results is psycho-social work with persons affected by war. This is done by the in-patient clinic in which 240 women and 170 children have undergone psycho-social treatment for the past four years. This type of aid was also offered in "Medica"'s guidance clinic, which has offered aid to between two and three thousand people in the same period.
Psychological aid, as psychologist Mirha Poljskic stressed, was most frequently offered in order to overcome war traumas, such as direct experiences: rape, torture, death of members of family, presence at murders, and similar. The other type of trauma which asked for psychological treatment was the trauma of exile.
"The specific characteristics of the war in B&H is the appearance of multiple traumas which were until now, with the exception of Vietnam perhaps, almost completely unprecedented", stresses Ms. Poljskic.
Expert assistance was offered also to women victims of the so-called domestic and peacetime violence, such as rape in marriage (incest), and traumatized children. "Medica" has devoted special attention to development of a network of field work, as well as training of non-professionals to offer mental help.
Mrs. Zilha Hadzihajdic informed the jourrnalists about characteristics of the project called "Medica 2" which has begun operation in mid 1993, and which is coordinated by her. "Medica 2" is an in-patient clinic intended for further socialization of traumatized women who have already undergone psychological treatment. Home atmosphere and training of women in different crafts, like sawing, knitting, uphostery, but also work in "Medica"'s workshop, yielded significant results. According to the words of Zilha Hadzihajdic, the aim is for the women to regain the feeling of self-respect and urgently needed spiritual stability through work and earning an income. A workshop similar to this one in Zenica was recently opened in Vozuca, where 30 women from Srebrenica, mostly single mothers, have been engaged to work. These workshops are not profit-making, but the women who work in them receive compensation from donors' resourcs.
The latest such donation amounts to 160 thousand marks, and it was received from Bosnian Women Initiative foundation. All this is just a humble illustration of activities of "Medica" which has succeeded in the past four years to acquire an international reputation. In the next period, it was said at the press conference, "Medica" will continue with all its activities. Unfortunately, in the time which will follow, appearance of longterm and chronic traumas are to be expected, so that work on protection of women and children from violence should continue, and due attention must be devoted to increase of awareness of the public to these problems.
Expansion of the guidance clinic should be expected and intensified field work, and a great wish of Medica"'s personnel is to make this institution part of the official health system of mental health protection. Significant attention is also devoted to return of refugees, among whom there will certainly be those with unresolved and suppressed traumas, which is yeat another humane and professional challenge for "Medica".
F. Hadziavdic