THE EUROPEAN – SECURITY AND DEFENCE UNION
Covid-19 has shown the need to respond even faster and more consistently to future crises
by Dr Ulrich Baumgärtner, Lt General (MC), Surgeon General of the Bundeswehr Medical Service, Koblenz
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n comparison to other countries, the German Armed Forces, the Bundeswehr, has had relatively few cases of the new coronavirus. When it comes to containment and infection prevention measures, the Bundeswehr relies on its Medical Service. Its expertise and support capabilities make it a valued and much sought-after partner for civil authorities.
The Bundeswehr is a valuable partner The Bundeswehr Medical Service constantly exchanges information with other national and international institutions and organisations. Of special importance during the pandemic is the exchange with the Federal Ministry of Health, where three Medical Service officers work in its situation centre, and of course the direct contact with the Robert Koch Institute (RKI), the central institution of the German government in the field of disease surveillance and prevention. Professional cooperation, including the exchange of research, allows the Medical Service to identify critical developments at an early stage and take
appropriate measures. The scientific work of the Bundeswehr Institute of Microbiology in Munich also helps to achieve this. As a defence research institution of the German government, the Institute focuses on a multitude of pathogens and biological toxins. With its special skills and knowledge, the Institute is able to integrate scientific findings about emerging diseases, such as Covid-19, into its own work.
A Medical Service integrated into the civilian sector After the first Covid-19 cases appeared in Germany, a team from the Institute of Microbiology integrated detection methods into the diagnostic test spectrum and successfully applied them within only five days. The Institute also diagnosed the first Covid-19 patient in Germany. A joint research project of Charité, München Klinik Schwabing and the Institute of Microbiology on the spread of the virus demonstrates how the work of the forces’ Medical Service is integrated into the civilian sector. National structures: The four centres of the Medical Service, which are more or less military health offices, are another example of the significance of military support provided to civil authorities. The Bundeswehr uses these centres as a tool for implementing the Infection Protection Act in the armed forces. The Supervisory Centres deal with all aspects of infection management and implement at regional level the applicable laws and provisions in the military sector. They enforce these laws and provisions themselves, but they also cooperate closely with civilian health offices in order to ensure a
Bundeswehr Medical Service constantly “The exchanges information with other national and international institutions and organisations.”
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photo: Bundeswehr/Patrick Grüterich
Military support of civil authorities during the pandemic
