Defence Forces to establish medical battalion

The Estonian Defence Forces will reorganise their medical system this year by consolidating all medical capabilities under the Support Command, where a medical battalion will be established on the basis of the current health centre, ERR reported.

The reorganisation is intended to simplify chains of command and responsibility, improve the management and use of medical capabilities, and strengthen the Defence Forces’ readiness for combat, the Defence Forces General Staff press service said.

“The reorganisation does not mean that medical centres will disappear or that the number of medical personnel will be reduced. The main change concerns management, so that existing medical capabilities are better coordinated and can support the Defence Forces more effectively,” Chief Medical Officer Lieutenant Colonel Indrek Olveti said in a press release.

Medical service units currently operating under different structural units will be placed under the central command of the medical battalion. The General Staff said this would create a clearer organisational structure and make it possible to manage existing capabilities more efficiently.

During wartime, the medical battalion will ensure that wounded and ill service members receive rapid first aid followed by more comprehensive medical care in the rear. It will also organise the movement of casualties from the battlefield to treatment points and hospitals, including transport abroad when necessary.

In peacetime, the battalion will organise health checks and primary care for service members, including conscripts, and ensure access to medical assistance during exercises, live-fire training and other service-related situations.

The reorganisation of the Defence Forces’ medical system has already begun. The establishment of the medical battalion and all related changes are planned to be completed by the end of this year.

The Support Command is a structural unit under the direct command of the commander of the Defence Forces. It is responsible for keeping Defence Forces units operational and sustainable, providing logistical support and medical services to units in Estonia and on foreign operations, organising the reception and departure of allies, and arranging strategic military transport in Estonia.