The monograph Hospital with a Seal, by author Velimir Bugarin and editor Fr. Zoran Livančić, about the Franciscan Hospital in Nova Bila, prepared after three decades to recall the time when friars and doctors, along with other medical staff and noble people, accomplished the feat of saving their people during the war, was presented at the Gallery of Queen Katarina Kosača in Mostar. In addition to the author and editor of the monograph, the participants were academicians Dr. Ljerka Ostojić, Jakov Križanović, Dr. Snježana Šušnjara and Željko Kocaj, while Ivo Jandrić performed in the musical part. The event was organized as part of the literary program of Mostar Spring 2025, in cooperation with Matica Hrvatska Mostar and Matica's Vitez Branch.
As its editor, Fr. Zoran Livančić, among others, pointed out, the monograph testifies to the painful fates of people, especially children, who found themselves in that improvised hospital.
– It was a place of suffering and pride. In the climate of the Lašva Valley, the suffering and pride of its defenders, medical workers, doctors and friars. Here, doctors of soul and body met to do what seemed impossible. This part of war history is remembered for a long time and is never forgotten – said, among others, Fr. Zoran Livančić.
And why the Hospital with the seal?
As the presenters stated, it actually leaves its mark on many events, on difficult things in wartime circumstances, difficult treatments and difficult fates, but also on all the good and humane things done by doctors, friars, nurses, veterans...
– The Novobiljana church, in addition to being a place of prayer, was also converted into a hospital. That is why many, rightly, say that it was a church-hospital for the soul and body. With the escalation of the war, this hospital in the church became the only medical institution to which more than 80,000 Croats were referred, of whom more than 12,500 were children. From October 9, 1992 to April 1, 1994, more than 11,500 people were cared for in various ways. In very difficult conditions, 156 surgical procedures were performed under general anesthesia, and 2,134 under local anesthesia… – it was said, emphasizing that hundreds of children were born there.
The editor also recalled the humanitarian convoy – the White Road to Nova Bila and added that a new hospital was later built on the total contribution of the Franciscan hospital – the Croatian Hospital “Dr. fra Mato Nikolić”, whose largest donor is the Republic of Croatia. The 280-page monograph 'Hospital with a Seal' brings testimonies and dialogues from that time, and also contains original scanned documents, photographs…
PHOTO: MH Mostar
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