Palestine, State of

Mission
The Military Medical Services of Palestine – known as the MMS – was established to provide and coordinate the medical care for Palestinian Armed Forces, military personnel and their families, in times of war and peace, in compliance with the international humanitarian law and Geneva Conventions. It also extends its role to provide medical care to civilians in times of emergencies and disasters, in addition to covering the Palestinian refugee camps and detention centres.

Vision
Our role is humanitarian, our aim is to heal. Excellence in providing medical care and to keep pace with medical advances in the world is a core issue in our vision. We look forward to an effective and efficient Military Medical Services that provides medical care for military and support other Palestinian medical institutions in providing medical care for civilians in need.

Structure

Military Medical Services organizational/command structure:

• General Director
• General Director Deputy
• Planning and Training Department
• Studies and Research Department
• Media and Public Relations Department
• International Relations
• Human Resources Department
• Inspection and Control Department
• Legal Advisor

Number of Medical Personnel

The Military Medical Services Central Department of Emergency Management comprises 118 cadres of physicians, nurses, drivers and officers. 25 Ambulances, a mobile clinic and a vehicle to transport deceased.

Military Hospitals
Three military hospitals, working with available capacities, yet many sections are still under construction. The hospitals are distributed in Palestinian cities as following:

• Al-Shuhada Military Medical Hospital in the city of Nablus. It consists of two floors with a capacity of 48 beds. Departments: Specialized outpatient clinics, Dental Clinic, Medical laboratory, Pharmacy, Radiology, Physiotherapy, Emergency Department, and the Operations Room is under construction.

• Palestine Military Hospital, to the East of Bethlehem city. It consists of four floors, with a capacity of 56 beds. Departments: Specialized outpatient clinics, Medical laboratory, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy, Emergency Department.

• Shekha Fatima Hospital, to the North of Ramallah City. Consists of two floors with a capacity of 18 beds. Departments: Specialized outpatient clinics, Dental Clinic, Medical laboratory, Pharmacy, Radiology and Emergency Department. The Operations Room, Maternity Section and Prematurity Section are under construction.

Regional Medical Facilities Medical Centres:
15 Primary Care Medical Centres,
9 Medical Units in Detention Centres.

Field Deployments

Treatment Chain in the field:
Field units are established in cases of disasters, emergencies and conflicts. Where Military Medical Services’ medics provide pre-hospital trauma life support for all wounded and sick (including civilians), transport stable cases to its medical facilities for monitoring, or to the Ministry of Health hospitals for critical cases. Equipment supplied: tents, portable stretchers, Fully Equipped Mobile Clinic (disposables, solutions, ventilator and intubation set, ICU medications, vital signs monitor, DC shock, Intubation set, oxygen) Ambulances and ICU Ambulances as needed (with capacity of one patient per ambulance).

Civil-Military Cooperation

The Military Medical Services of Palestine is an independent body in the health care system of Palestine, but has been working in comprehensive, complementary cooperation based on contracts with the Ministry of Health (the civil governmental body of the Health System of Palestine) and with non-governmental and private medical sectors as well. As a complementary medical role, the medical service is provided not only for militaries, but also for civilians’ wounded and sick, in emergencies, disasters and conflicts times.