Preparing healthcare for security tasks
04.03.2025 17:18
In light of considerations to establish a special fund for defense expenditures to meet Germany's growing security responsibilities, the university hospitals and the BG clinics expect a targeted strengthening of healthcare in the event of a defense emergency.
University hospitals and BG clinics, along with Bundeswehr hospitals, are crucial for the care of the wounded and the civilian population in the event of military conflicts. They bear a special responsibility and must be considered for the development of the necessary healthcare infrastructure within the special fund for defense expenditures.
In light of the dynamic changes in foreign policy and the increased threat level, it is important to remember that Germany's healthcare system must also be prepared for a national emergency. The resilience of our healthcare system must be strengthened in the face of current challenges. Publicly funded hospitals are of particular importance in this regard and bear a special responsibility.
Even today, severely wounded soldiers from Ukraine are being treated in Germany. Operations under wartime conditions are difficult, and war injuries require extensive knowledge and skill. War-related injuries to blood vessels and limbs, especially when combined with multi-resistant pathogens, demand a high level of expertise. Current experience demonstrates this. In addition to the Bundeswehr hospitals, university hospitals and BG clinics are primarily equipped to provide this care.
The war in Ukraine presents a new and increasingly acute challenge to the solidarity-based aid community. One possible scenario for a conflict on NATO's eastern flank envisions that 1,000 wounded would require medical care per day. Germany could become a hub for the supply structures of allied forces. Since such scenarios are not part of current planning, the healthcare provision must be considered in the ongoing debate about the special fund for defense expenditures.
„The German healthcare system must prepare for several challenges if it wants to be ready for threats such as armed conflicts and the care of the critically injured, even within Germany. Preparations include, for example, expanding and adequately equipping intensive care and operating room capacities, providing additional isolation wards for severely burned patients, and implementing telemedicine to enable care across distances. University hospitals are highly specialized. Investing in security also means maintaining functioning, resilient healthcare infrastructures in case of a crisis. Defensiveness also means ensuring that the injured can receive the best possible care,” emphasizes Prof. Jens Scholz, Chairman of the Association of German University Hospitals (VUD).
“To prepare for a potential alliance emergency, we need robust networks for cooperation between the Bundeswehr hospitals, the BG hospitals, and university hospitals. This means that framework conditions must be created in Germany that ensure sufficient capacity can be made available quickly. Publicly funded hospitals bear a special responsibility in this regard and must be supported with sufficient funds from the special fund. "This is now an opportunity to do so," says Reinhard Nieper, Chairman of the Management Board of the BG Hospitals – the hospital network of the statutory accident insurance.