APPEAL OF FRANCISCAN HOSPITAL IN NOVA BILA

NOVA BILA, Apr 16 (Hina) - The situation in the Franciscan hospital of Nova Bila (near Vitez, Central Bosnia) is very difficult, although a cessation of fire is holding and no patients wounded by arms have been admitted to it recently, reported the hospital on Saturday afternoon. There are at the moment 52 seriously sick persons, mostly elderly persons and children, in the hospital. The Franciscan hospital is appealing to all who can send aid to this area to dispatch aid in food and medical materials. Yesterday 14 seriously sick patients were evacuated from the hospital by the helicopters of the Croatian Defence Council with the assistance of the British UNPROFOR battalion and UN military observers. The evacuated patients, mostly women and children, were transported to Croatia where they should continue their medical treatment, said the same source. 162009 MET apr 94