SYMPOSIUM ON CARE FOR WAR VICTIMS ENDS IN SIBENIK

SIBENIK, May 12 (Hina) - Concluding a three-day symposium organised by the Centre for Psycho-social Help entitled "The Approach to Care for Homeland War Victims - Victims of Psychological Traumas" in Sibenik on Sunday, Croatian Homeland War Veterans' Minister Ivica Pancic said that all, from government institutions to local communities, should be involved in solving the problems of veterans and their families. #L# Amendments to the National Programme of Psychological Assistance to Homeland War Victims, proposed at the symposium, is intended for everybody to be obliged to care for veterans and their families, not just the Ministry and centres for psychological and social help, Pancic said. "Placing all responsibility onto the Veterans' Ministry and centres for psychological and social help may be politically worthwhile, but cannot be efficient," Pancic said. He stressed that the current situation in which the ministry has to deal with everything was unsustainable. The symposium was held under the auspices of the Croatian Homeland Veterans' Ministry with 150 experts from Croatia and guests from Israel attending. Amongst other topics, there was talk about suicides in post-war periods generally among the population because there is no specialised data concerning veterans themselves. (hina) lml