Croatia, Republic of

Basic Task of the Military Medical Service

The tasks of medical service in CAF are force health protection in general (combining physicians, specialists, dentists and veterinarians), medical care of servicemen, medical examinations (especially of pilots, divers and SOF servicemen) and medical support for all kind of military activities including deployed missions.

Structure

The Military Medical Service is organized as a part of logistic & medical support system following decisions delivered through national strategic defence documents. In addition, Croatia has so-called “integrated” National Medical Healthcare System; except Role 1 capability covered by military medical service, higher levels of requested capability are provided by the civilian healthcare system.
Comprehensive medical support in CAF is organized and harmonized as a unique functional system based on the principles of Medical Support in CAF, essential doctrine document, delivered in accordance with relevant national regulations and NATO reference publications. The structural organization is presented through four levels, as follows.
MOD level – The Medical Service Department is responsible for the planning process and for coordination of comprehensive activities related to the integration of civilian and military medical capabilities in order to fulfil national target capabilities.
GS level – MEDAD with his Staff Officers has central authority for the implementation of national target capabilities related to medical support area and provides all necessary plans, guidelines, directives and others medical-relative documents to subject units.
Component level – The Support Command has authority to provide logistic and medical support on the second level and its main medical support provider is The Military Medical Centre.
Unit level – The structure of logistic units includes medical platoons, Role 1 capability, responsible to provide medical support in Guardian Brigades of Armed Force, as well as in Naval and Air Force Bases. 

Military Medical Centre 

Due to fact that Croatia has no military hospitals, the Military Medical Centre is a main military medical facility in CAF, responsible for primary healthcare, preventive medicine protection, veterinarian healthcare, specific healthcare and occupational medicine provided by specialized medical experts. Its organizational structure integrates Primary Healthcare Department, Veterinary Department, Preventive Medicine Department, Role 2 Command and two institutes: Aerospace Medicine Institute and Naval Medicine Institute.

Institutes

The Aerospace Medicine Institute, Zagreb

The Aerospace Medicine Institut and the Naval Medicine Institut provide medical examinations for the military and civilian aviation staff and the Naval Medicine Institute, located in Split, provides medical examinations for maritime staff and special force divers. Both institutes have Occupational Medicine Departments, capable to provide medical examinations for servicemen who participate in military operations and missions abroad (NATO, UN, EU, etc.). In coordination with Air Force, the Aerospace Medical Institute organizes Aeromedical Evacuation Course one or two times per year. Finally, the Naval Medicine Institute organizes a Hyperbaric and Diving Medicine Course and is capable to provide HBOT using own stationary hyperbaric chambers, full equipped and supported by hyperbaric expert medical teams. From 2017 Training Department in Naval Medicine Institute provides also BLS and ATLS for medical doctors and nurses, as well as training in First Aid Procedures on Ship for students of Faculty of Maritime Studies University of Split.  

Naval Medical Institut, Split

Medical Service Personnel

Professional medical service personnel consist of MD, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists, nurses and medical technicians. In civilian hospitals and institutes, we have various specialized military medical experts of occupational medicine, epidemiology, ENT, ophthalmology, physical medicine, surgery, orthopaedics, gynaecology, psychiatry, internal medicine and dermatology, including aerospace and hyperbaric medicine.

Training

Specialized training for non-medical personnel is provided by the Military Medical Training Facility within the Centre of Logistic Doctrine and Training. The facility is developed and specialized primary for “first responders” training, known as Combat Lifesavers (CLS) - soldiers who are capable to care casualties during a combat situation in “Platinum 10 Minutes”. Therefore, a two-weeks-long CLS Course is developed as part of the pre-deployment training process, needed for selected participants in operations. 

iv line training

Field Deployments

The medical platoons at Role 1 level provide medical support for units in coordination with Regional Military Medical Clinics which are responsible for providing primary health care to servicemen in barracks, training fields, naval and air force bases. Their medical personnel is involved in medical preparation for the units such as training soldiers in first aid and field hygiene, as well as training in evacuation of casualties from the battlefield.
For the purpose of medical evacuation, we use ground wheeled vehicles (ambulance) and armoured evacuation vehicles “Patria” and HAGA. The Air Force provides Forward AE capability using rotary-wing assets.
In accordance with the long-term planning process, Role 2 Command has been established as a part of Mil Med Centre in order to develop Role 2 LM MTF required for the mission deployed medical support.
In CAF, all candidates for military operations and missions abroad must be volunteers, medical personnel as well. Pre-deployment training process goes through the above mentioned military medical courses, including three-weeks-long medical practice at emergency departments in civilian hospitals and clinical centres.
Qualified deployable medical personnel have gained a lot of experience participating in following operations and missions abroad:

2003 – 2020	ISAF/RS
2008 – 2013	UNDOF
2009	TCHAD
2010	Nordic EU BG
2012-2023	EU BG
2017-	eFP LTV
2020-	KFOR
2022	eFP BG POL,  eVA BG HUN

Medical Patria Armoured Vehicle

Rotary Wing MEDEVAC Team and Crew

Civil-Military Cooperation

Civil-Military Cooperation is based on the Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation signed by the Ministry of Health and Ministry of the Defence Republic of Croatia in accordance with the national concept of “integrated” healthcare system. The memorandum enables involving military medical system into Croatian Medical CIS – “CEZIH” providing a direct approach to all necessary services and capacities of the national healthcare system. Furthermore, all military medical personnel have the opportunity to be educated in civilian clinical centres and hospitals as medical care specialists.
For the purpose of emergency air medical transport, the military system provides rotary-wing assets with the flight crew and military medical teams for HEMS to the civilian health-care system (in accordance with the special memorandum).
During possible crisis situations on the national level, the military medical system will be included in national crisis response forces led by The Crisis HQ of the Ministry of Health.

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(status: February 2024)

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