Medical Support for the Detachment of the Yugoslav National Army in Sinai in 1956 – 1967. Cover Image

Санитетско обезбеђење одреда Југословенске Народне Армије на Синају 1956 – 1967.
Medical Support for the Detachment of the Yugoslav National Army in Sinai in 1956 – 1967.

Author(s): Aleksandar Životić
Subject(s): Military history, International relations/trade, Military policy, Management and complex organizations, Health and medicine and law, Post-War period (1950 - 1989)
Published by: Institut za strategijska istraživanja
Keywords: Yugoslav National Army; JNA; medical support; Sinai; 1956-1967; health; hygiene; military history;

Summary/Abstract: The detachment of the Yugoslav National Army in Sinai within the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces stayed in the territory of Egypt from November 1956 till June 1967. It was the unit of specific organizational – formational structure adapted to executing special tasks in the dessert. As the detachment was an independent unit, in terms of personnel, organization and logistic, it had in its composition special medical elements. Numerically small units of medical service had a broad range of special tasks from the basic medical protection of the personnel to taking care of their hygiene. During the stay of the Yugoslav soldiers in Sinai, the medical elements of the Detachment fought against series of problems. Medical personnel trained to work in the desert conditions represented completely new experience since in their practice so far they never encountered such circumstances. First of all, there was a great problem of different contagious diseases characteristic for that region, different desert reptiles and insects, bad hygienic conditions in the field, but also occasional cases of neurolability caused by the life conditions and accomplishing the specific tasks in the field. Nevertheless, in spite of a series of objective difficulties, medical elements of the Detachment succeeded in accomplishing their basic specific tasks in the field of medical and hygienic protection of the personnel.

  • Issue Year: 2007
  • Issue No: 1-2
  • Page Range: 130-138
  • Page Count: 9
  • Language: Serbian