Review article
https://doi.org/10.26800/LV-144-supl5-12
The role of military health in CBRN emergencies
Elena Jelavić
; Ministarstvo obrane Republike Hrvatske
Abstract
The first Crisis Headquarters to be founded, during the Croatian War of Independence, was the General Headquarters of the Medical Corps, later known as the General Staff of the Medical Corps of the Republic of Croatia. It was founded with the purpose of preparing the healthcare system for what awaits it during aggression and reorganizing it to adequately respond to these events. Therefore, a unique integrated civil-military health system was established. The advantages and benefits of learned lessons are of the greatest use today in the fight against current and upcoming national and global public health crises of which the COVID-19 pandemic should be highlighted. During the pandemic, many countries had to face devastating consequences due to the lack of human and material capacities necessary to provide resistance, therefore they were looking for help in national military systems that were primarily engaged as CBRN units, logistical support such as infrastructure, supplies, but also by assigning military health personnel to civilians sector with the aim of replacing a smaller workforce and overcoming the challenges of the pandemic caused by a large number of infected and sick people as successfully as possible. Such a synergy of action, which later proved to be crucial, was also visible among the members of the Croatian Army, who actively participated in helping civil institutions and citizens of the Republic of Croatia from the very beginning of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in Croatia. Taking into account the advantages and disadvantages of the public and military health sector, World Health Organization has created a concept of cooperation focused on an overall national health approach, which enables countries with its capacity and opportunities to be maximally ready to respond to all threats which was proven during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Keywords
INTEGRATED CIVIL-MILITARY HEALTHCARE SYSTEM; PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES; THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC; WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
Hrčak ID:
286298
URI
Publication date:
25.11.2022.
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