The German healthcare system is not prepared for a possible event of war. Defense companies are already working on new technical possibilities.
Berlin – The announcement from the German Red Cross (DRK) is clear: The civil defense and health system in Germany are not even remotely prepared for an emergency such as a military attack. “In an armed conflict or crisis, we are challenged twice: the already large health service for the civilian population must be maintained and that for soldiers must also be maintained,” said Joß Steinke, head of the DRK for the areas of youth and welfare assistance, recently IPPEN.MEDIA.
1000 injured per day: health system in Germany hardly prepared for war
A topic that, in view of the tense security situation, has become increasingly explosive after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Experts assume that if NATO members were to intervene in the Ukraine war, for example, there would be 1,000 injuries per day. Within a few days the number of beds would be exhausted for military personnel alone.
The DRK is now calling for more investment from the federal government in civil protection. Specifically: 0.5 percent of the gross domestic product, which would be around two billion euros per year. Currently only a quarter of this amount is spent. In addition, more equipment is needed, such as mobile accommodation facilities, in which thousands of people could be cared for directly if the infrastructure is destroyed.
Germany as a hub in the NATO alliance
In the event of a NATO alliance, Germany would also be a hub for troops from abroad – in other words, supplying allied troops would also play a role. This is also why companies in the defense industry are currently developing new solutions.
The largest German arms company Rheinmetall, for example, produces special modular supply facilities such as mobile field hospitals and so-called rescue stations through a subsidiary, which are already in use on the Ukrainian front. “These modules can be deployed very quickly and are of course absolutely suitable for the area of disaster control in Germany,” said a company spokesman IPPEN.MEDIA.
Mobile field hospitals and rescue stations for the health system
But what if, in the worst case scenario, things had to happen really quickly? Would there be enough of these mobile facilities available? “These products are generally not kept in stock at Rheinmetall in order to build up inventories,” said the spokesman. “Nevertheless, quick and reliable deliveries can be made possible through well-coordinated measures.”
However, completely covering demand would be difficult. “With a correspondingly large and reliable order, Rheinmetall could achieve the necessary scaling at any time to deliver several systems per year,” said the spokesman. “The maximum number per year is not set in advance, but of course depends on the size of the respective systems, the degree of complexity and the desired equipment.”
However, there are no concrete orders from the government. “We are currently not aware of any direct discussions on this.” However, the Federal Ministry of the Interior as well as the Federal Ministry of Defense are happy to be available. After all, such an order would be worth billions for the company.
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