ZAGREB, CROATIA – If we are to believe the story of a Serbian citizen, somebody’s nationality is more important to some doctors at the Sibenik General Hospital than saving people’s lives. A 50-year-old Serbian citizen heard on the radio that the Sibenik hospital has a deficit of blood and as he has been a blood donor in his country for years, he decided to help the hospital in Sibenik by giving his blood.

After all the medical tests, just before he was about to give blood, he told the doctor he was from Serbia. She paused, left the room and when she returned, she explained to him that he cannot give blood because “how would a person who needs the blood feel if they knew it was Serbian”.

The hospital’s director, Zeljko Buric, said he had already ordered an investigation into the case and had consulted the legal department regarding a law suit the Serbian citizen could file against the hospital because he claims everything the Serbian said was not true. He added nothing similar had ever happened in his hospital and no foreigner has ever had any complaints.

Milena Dekovic, the doctor who refused to take the blood, told us her version of events. She said that after the patient had undergone tests of haemoglobin and blood type, he had been sent to give his blood. After the doctor saw on his application form that he had already given blood in Serbia 44 times, she asked if he was a Croatian citizen. She explained that, according to the law, foreigners were now allowed to give blood in Croatia and that they had had to refuse other citizens of neighbouring countries as well.

Pupovac: This should not be tolerated in Croatia, in which a lot is tolerated anyway 

- I thanked him and said he cannot donate blood until the law changes. He left the hospital without hard feelings, he was neither rude or nervous, and after that the story was launched. This is horrible. There was no talk of Serbian blood – Doctor Dekovic explained.

We asked of the Health and Social Welfare Ministry to tell us whether it is possible that such an incident had happened, but they did not respond to our query.

Our collocutors could not believe something like this could happen and see this as a blatant example of discrimination. Members of the Serb People’s Council (SNV) were all shocked with the incident. A secretary who answered our call, hearing why we were calling, first said “terrible” and then forwarded us to the president and deputy president of the Council, who, she said, had to hear about this.

SNV president Milorad Pupovac said the incident in Sibenik was unacceptable racism.

- I did not know there was such thing as Serb blood. I can imagine it existing in some non-medical heads, but it should not exist in medical heads – Pupovac said, adding that this case should not be tolerated in Croatia “in which everything is tolerated anyway”.

Puhovski: this is an example of hysteria in which the only important thing is whether the blood is “our” or “theirs” 

SNV vice-president Sasa Milosevic said the possibility that this had happened in the hospital seemed ludicrous and that such a case was pathetic.

- If the gentleman fulfilled all medical criteria before giving blood, I do not see a reason for this to have happened. This is completely unethical – Milosevic said in disbelief.

Zarko Puhovski of the Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO) said that the incident in the Sibenik hospital could turn into an ugly international incident if the doctor in question is not sanctioned.

- It seems that stupidity does not depend on any profession, even the medical profession. If the doctor is punished, it will show that it is the stupidity of one person and if there is no punishment, that will show that this has become a type of policy in Croatia – Puhovski said.

He added that it is sad that something like that happened in Sibenik in which, even during the war, there were good relations towards the Serb national minority. This is an example of hysteria in which the only important thing is whether the blood is “ours” or “theirs” and in which all blood cells are being counted, he believes.

Ivo Banac of the Croatian Helsinki Committee said he never heard of a law that would forbid foreigners from giving blood. And if there was such a law, it should be changed. He believes all people should be treated equally.

- If the doctor refused him because he was a Serb, that is an blatant example of discrimination. This is an extremely harmful incident for Croatia as well because it shows that somebody who wants to donate blood is not acceptable to do so – Banac said, adding that he expected the doctor to be sanctioned. Either the law is stupid or somebody played God, he concluded.