Battle Field Medical Force – Planning for 21St Century Medical Readiness

By Mohd Zin Bidin

The changing face of warfare requires Medical Units to be deployed at a short notice, to the most hostile environment and with all its consequences. In whatever scenarios, medical care must be delivered to the troops to help the commander in the execution of his battle plan.

The provision of good medical care is of immense value to the morale of the troops, knowing that they will be looked after if they are sick and wounded. Good medical care act as a combat multiplier, and can determine the consequences of war.

Present day war scenarios require Medical units to be fast reacting, highly flexible and able to “deliver a greater medical capability of a higher quality”. The complexity of the battlefield environment and the speed of modern warfare will require an innovative, readily deployable and technologically sophisticated combat medical service. The services provided must be highly responsive and effective across the full spectrum of possible operational scenarios.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing Singapore
• Release date: Sep 24, 2018
• ISBN: 9781482865592

Book preview

List of Tables

Table 1: Detailed Results for Factors Affecting Medical Readiness from the In-Depth Interviews

Table 2: Medical Readiness Problems and Recommendations

Abbreviations

PART 1

Introduction

CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Leaders don’t venture without vision. They don’t pray without plan. They don’t climb without clues. They are always prepared.

Israelmore Ayivor

The changing face of warfare requires Medical Units to be deployed at a short notice, to the most hostile environment and with all its consequences. In whatever scenarios, medical care must be delivered to the troops to help the commander in the execution of his battle plan.

The provision of good medical care is of immense value to the morale of the troops, knowing that they will be looked after if they are sick and wounded. Good medical care act as a combat multiplier, and can determine the consequences of war.

Present day war scenarios require Medical units to be fast reacting, highly flexible and able to deliver a greater medical capability of a higher quality (Jenkin, 2004). The complexity of the battlefield environment and the speed of modern warfare will require an innovative, readily deployable and technologically sophisticated combat medical service. The services provided must be highly responsive and effective across the full spectrum of possible operational scenarios.

PART 2

Military Health Care

CHAPTER 2

EVOLUTION OF MILITARY HEALTH SERVICES

The history of Military Health Care dates back since countries started to wage war with each other. Medical services of British Army can be traced back to year 1660 when each regiment had its own Regimental Medical Officer (RMO) and his assistant (United Kingdom, Royal Army Medical Corps,