NATO’s senior military medical leaders met in Skopje, North Macedonia, from 1 to 4 June for the 65th plenary of the Committee of the Chiefs of Military Medical Services in NATO (COMEDS).
The gathering brought together allies, partners and observers to discuss cooperation and priorities in military medicine, NATO informed on Friday.
Medical support should be treated as a “critical capability on par with any weapon system”, Major General Luc Vanbockryck — Director of the Logistics and Resources Division in NATO’s International Military Staff — said in opening remarks.
“Our mission is to maintain combat effectiveness by keeping our military forces in action,” said COMEDS chair Brigadier General Petter Iversen, adding that when needed this includes speeding up “the return of our soldiers to the front”.
Focus on NATO’s Medical Action Plan
A central topic was continued work on NATO’s Medical Action Plan (MAP), which NATO described as an effort to translate medical readiness into practical measures across member countries.
The alliance said the plan is designed around a “whole-of-society” approach that links civilian and military medical systems, and covers areas including regulations and legislation, staffing, mass-casualty planning, patient evacuation and medical logistics.
Ukraine also attended the meeting and provided updates on lessons identified and learned, Iversen said, adding: “We are bound to support them.”
The plenary also discussed interoperability between national medical systems and the integration of medical requirements into NATO operational planning.
