The ability to supply medical assistance in crisis situations, to safe injuries sustained during armed action, to know emergency medicine techniques in hard field conditions – these are issues that may be included in the training programme of future doctors and dentists. The government is working on amending the legislation.
Experts stress that the inclusion of military training in the training of doctors is becoming increasingly crucial in the context of ensuring both adequate protection of citizens' wellness during peace and effective consequence to crises and military threats. This is an argument that Janusz Cieszynski (PiS) raised in an interpelled to defence ministers, discipline and higher education. erstwhile Deputy Minister of wellness (2018–2020) cited prof. Waldemar Banasiak, a national consultant in the field of cardiology who noted that in the face of an expanding number of threats, including mass disasters or armed conflicts, Poland needs doctors with skills acquired in military training.
What does MON say? "Currently, work is being carried out at the Ministry of Defence, at the request of the Minister of Health, to change the organisation of postgraduate internships for doctors and dentists. It is assumed that postgraduate training in field medicine will be included in the program – so that all doctor and dentist after completed postgraduate training was able to supply medical assistance in emergency situations, to defend injuries sustained during armed action and to learn the techniques of emergency medicine in hard field conditions," Deputy Minister Paweł Bejda replied.
Currently, a one-year postgraduate traineeship must be held by all graduates of the medical and dental course before obtaining full right to practice. The inclusion in the internship of combat medical training would require the amendment of the Act of 5 December 1996 on the Doctor and Dentist Competition. The government is considering specified a step, while ongoing work on the revision of the wellness department.
Maria Mrówczyńska, Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of discipline and Higher Education, besides responded to the interpelling. The Deputy Minister pointed out that universities as part of the programme autonomy they have now can educate future doctors on issues typical of military medicine. As an example, she gave the University of Warsaw, which included mandatory “Tactical and civilian Hazards Medicine” classes in the medical program. They are implemented in cooperation with the Military Medical Institute – the State investigation Institute.
The Ministry of National Defence is undertaking a number of initiatives aimed at promoting fresh medical technologies utilized in the field of combat medicine. technological projects in the field of combat medicine are initiated primarily as part of the cooperation of the Ministry of Defence with the National Centre for investigation and improvement – wrote the Deputy Head of the MON.
Paweł Bejda added that in consequence to the worsening shortages of medical personnel in the military wellness service, MON is implementing various actions aimed at creating a modern, comprehensive strategy of training of doctors of soldiers. This strategy is to be adapted to the needs of the modern battlefield, crisis management and medical safety of military operations. Deputy Minister of Defence mentioned in this context the announced in 2024 reactivation of the Military Medical Academy in Łódź and the creation of a component of medical troops.
