During the summer of 1974, for around 8 weeks, from July 21st to September 10th, the Laniteio High School in Limassol hosted the emergency 106 Military Hospital. Dozens of volunteers, within a few hours, managed to implement the Plan and bring together one of the best organized hospitals that operated during the Turkish invasion.
Limassol was rather safe due to the distance from the battle front. The British Sovereign areas were an extra guarantee at those times. A missile hit the yard of the city hospital on July 20th and made clear that patients, doctors and nurses should immediately move. Dr Marios Tritoftides operated as catalyst in reference to the planning and implementation of everything that should be done, being the director of the effort.
The emergency hospital at Lanitio Highschool was benefited by the hospitality arrangements in its rooms, which hosted the artists participating at the International Limassol Festival that summer. Bed sheets (around 400) and pillows were taken from “Astir”, “Curium” and “Amathus” hotels. “Astir” was even used to host some of the recovering patients for a while.
The 106 Military Hospital operated with:
200 Beds
30 Doctors
20 Medicine students
80 Nurses
50 Administration personnel
20 cooking personnel (with a dietician)
10 Hospital cars
1 Blood donation cars
1 Energy generator (with 3 technicians)
Mobile x-ray unit with its own technician
It should be noted that the 106 Hospital was fully connected through a wireless radio with the surgical unit in Kiperounta Hospital, the doctors had wireless radios, mobile or in the hospital cars, and all of the vehicles had a wireless radio, too. An official document reports that there were 290 patients hosted in the hospital. Losses from injuries in the battles were up to 272 and losses not related to the battles were up to 18, while there were 7 transfers of 73 patients to Greece.
Source: Limassol Municipal Historical Archive, Dr. Mimis Sophocleous
* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.
