THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996            TAG: 9601240354
SECTION: FRONT                    PAGE: A12  EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   45 lines

PHYSICIANS TURN TO WORDS OF COMFORT WHEN MEDICINE RUNS OUT

Here is what Ifera Licanin, a psychiatrist at the hospital, had to say about Psychiatrists' Clinic and its patients:

``During the war, we had many centers for psychological support. And maybe that is why we don't have many more patients. We expect them now that there is peace. And we expect that people will suffer so-called post-traumatic stress.

``But we think that these people here in Sarajevo have a great endurance. They have been under heavy pressure for almost four years, and their defense was to pretend that nothing special was going on. That way of self-defense worked. They continued to work and to behave normally.

``What they need now is to go on with that. Some of them will not succeed, and will need help with that. They could be depressed or anxious. We are here to help them.

``The main problem is that we don't have enough medicine. But we get used to dealing with that. Sometimes a few words at the right moment can help better than medicine.''

Here is what Ifera Licanin, a psychiatrist at the hospital, had to say about Psychiatrists' Clinic and its patients:

``During the war, we had many centers for psychological support. And maybe that is why we don't have many more patients. We expect them now that there is peace. And we expect that people will suffer so-called post-traumatic stress.

``But we think that these people here in Sarajevo have a great endurance. They have been under heavy pressure for almost four years, and their defense was to pretend that nothing special was going on. That way of self-defense worked. They continued to work and to behave normally.

``What they need now is to go on with that. Some of them will not succeed, and will need help with that. They could be depressed or anxious. We are here to help them.

``The main problem is that we don't have enough medicine. But we get used to dealing with that. Sometimes a few words at the right moment can help better than medicine.'' by CNB