Malta, Republic of

Professional staff: 

Medical Officers - 4
Nursing Officers - 2
Pharmacist – 1
Physiotherapist - 1
Phlebotomists - 2
Medical Orderlies - 3

Basic Tasks of the Military Medical Service

• Attend to and provide continued medical care to sick military personnel;
• Provide standards for recruitment/retention in the military;
• Give inoculations and vaccinations to military personnel;
• Perform minor surgical interventions/advanced first aid;
• Perform routine medical examinations on specialized personnel (pilots/divers);
• Conduct medical examinations on new recruits (pre-enlistment medicals);
• Sanitation, basic health care and hygiene inspections;
• Conduct MEDEVACS, CASEVACS and rescue operations;
• Provide medical support in overseas training and deployments;
• Medical/Health and hygiene instruction to troops;
• Advise Commander on medical matters; 
• Co-operate with civilian health authorities / civil protection dept. / Red Cross etc. 
• Aeromedicine clinic
• Diving medicine clinic
• Mental health clinic
• Sports and exercise medicine clinic
• Podiatry services
• Women's health clinic
• Advanced military medical training
• Co-ordination and organization of TCCC Courses to service personnel
• Musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound
• Rehabilitation clinic

Structure

The Medical Service is integrated in the Head Quarters of the Armed Forces of Malta headed by a Principal Medical Officer in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. He is the primary advisor to the Commander AFM and policymaker in the medical field. One central medical centre located at Luqa Barracks, Luqa.

Military Hospitals

The Armed Forces of Malta has no dedicated Military Hospitals but utilizes the services of Mater Dei Hospital, which is the primary civilian hospital on the island and located at Tal Qroqq. This hospital includes 825 beds and 25 operating theatres.

Training

All medical services officers complete a five-year Doctor of Medicine course at the University of Malta and further specialized training is provided in foreign military institutes mainly located in Italy and the United States of America.

Training facilities for assisting/nursing personnel are located within Luqa barracks, Luqa and consist of lecture rooms at the training wing and medical centre facilities. These facilities are used for local courses but assisting/nursing personnel are also sent abroad for training and obtaining the required specialized qualifications in this field.

 Foreign Institutes attended by the Armed Forces of Malta, Medical Personnel:

• Scuola di Sanita’ Militare, Florence, Italy.
• Comando Subaquei Incursori, Diving and Hyperbaric Medicine, La Spezia, Italy.
• US Army School of Aviation Medicine, Fort Rucker, Alabama, USA.
• Fort Sam, Medical Institute, Diploma Medical Health Care, Houston, Texas, USA. 
• Royal College of Physicians (UK)
• Royal Aeronautical Society
• Metropolitan University of Cardiff
• NATO Maritime Interdiction Operation Training Centre, Crete (Greece)
• European School of Aviation Medicine, Frankfurt (Germany)
• Aerospace Medicine, FAA, Oklahoma, USA
• Queen Mary University, London
• University of Malta
• University of East London
• University of Maastricht, Netherlands

 Field Deployments 

• Treatment chain for wounded soldiers initiates with the combat first-aider/combat lifesaver/combat medic on-site, medical officer at role 1, facility and civilian hospital if necessary.
• Basic equipment supplied in the field as for roles 1 and 2 facilities to perform triage and to provide advanced first aid and manage minor sick or injured personnel.
• Protected transport vehicles of the medical service: – none
• Air MedEvac: As regards to Air MedEvac the AFM makes use of the following military helicopters:
• Three Augusta Westland AW 139 helicopters for SAR under “Air Wing” command 
• Hospital ships: – none
• Experience with active deployment with medical services of other nations: – none to date

Civil-Military Cooperation

The Armed Forces of Malta medical personnel are involved with the Department of Health and the Civil Protection Department on training and simulation exercises. These include:

• Aircraft Accident Plans
• Pandemic-flu Contingency Plans
• Hijack Situations
• Natural Disasters
• Aid to Civil Powers with reference to COVID-19 management, focusing on civilian vaccine rollout programme