09.08.2020.
Military health care makes a major contribution to the fight against the coronavirus
Responding to numerous challenges, military health care has shown how valuable it is from the first day, standing firmly at the forefront of the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, confirming with its professionalism that all capacities of our armed forces are available to the state in difficult times for all.
Successfully carrying out every task and decision assigned to the Ministry of Defence and the Serbian Armed Forces by the President of the Republic of Serbia and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces, Aleksandar Vučić, and the Crisis Team, members of the military health care once again justified the trust that citizens have in the military health care and the Serbian Armed Forces, because patients often chose to be treated by military doctors who brought hope to the cities where they were deployed to help when the threat was the greatest.
There is no breakfor military doctors and medical staff because they have been fighting the coronavirus since the very beginning, every day, throughout our country, with the aimof helping the health system, Serbia and its citizens.
This is evidenced by the beginning of the construction of a new and modern Covid hospital on Batajnički Drum, for which the Ministry of Defence provided a suitable location, and for which tactical and technical requirements for the construction were prepared by the Military Health Department in cooperation with the Ministry of Health. It is the most important and largest hospital for Covid patients in the area, where military doctors and medical staff will play an important role, and the engineer units of the Serbian Armed Forceshave participated in the worksfrom the very beginning.
Through a timely response and quick reaction, the Serbian Armed Forcesset up a temporary hospital in Belgrade's Štark Arena with representatives of the Ministry of Health, in order to save the capacities of our health system for those who need help the most. The temporary hospital is under the command of the Military Health Department, whose teams have valuable experience gained from working in the temporary hospital at the Belgrade Fair.
Having considered the seriousness of the situation, the Military Medical Academy, in accordance with the order of the President of the Republic and the Supreme Commander of the Serbian Armed Forces and the National Crisis Team, took over the treatment of non-Covid patients, because it was recognized that due to the current fight against the coronavirus, patients suffering from other illnesses should not be neglected.
Since that decision was made, about 40,000 patients have been examined in the MMA’s triage tent, more than 29,000 people have received medical care at the MMA’s Emergency Centre, and more than 4,000 people brought by the ambulance have been admitted.
In the midst of the pandemic, the "Karaburma"Military Medical Centre was reorganized and equipped to become a Covid hospital with a capacity of 100 beds for patients with moderate or severe symptoms of Covid-19. Given the seriousness of the situation, in only 12 days,with the "Serbian speed",the existing facility was reconstructed and a new part was added to house 60Covid-19 patients with a severe clinical presentationon the grounds of the "Karaburma” Military Medical Centre. Medical experts from the People's Republic of Chinaassessed the layout of the rooms as excellent during their visit. So far, 715 patients have been treated at the "Karaburma” Military Medical Centre.
Wherever it was needed, military doctors and medical staff helped with their knowledge and experiencethroughout Serbia, and they continue to help in times of crisis.
Under the watchful eye of military doctors and medical staff, a temporary military Covid hospital with a capacity of 110 beds was opened in early July, employing 42 members of military health care institutions, and in Sjenica, military doctors and medical technicians formed a triage ward at the entrance to the Covid hospital. For more than 30 days, 174 patients received medical attention in the temporary hospital in Novi Pazar, and the fact that the maximum number of admissions in one day was 86, testifies to the importance of their engagement in that hospital.
When the need arose, in mid-July, the military hospital in Novi Sad was included in the system of Covid hospitals of the Republic of Serbia and today it is responsible for the treatment ofone part of patients from the territory of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. One hundred and twentyCovid patients were treated in that hospital, and more than 600 other examinations were performed.
A member of the Military Health Departmentwas appointed coordinator of the temporary Covid hospital set up at the Secondary School of Economics "Stana Milanović" in Šabac, which is proof that the armed forces are there for all citizens of our country.
The military health care was prepared for the coronavirus epidemic, largely thanks to the fact that significant investments have been made in the past few years. In addition to the most modern medical equipment and numerous improvements in terms of infrastructure works, a new heliport at the Military Medical Academy has been built, new ambulances procured, new clinics in military hospitalshave been opened, but also the necessary staff have been employed.
In the Day Surgery Centre of the MMA Polyclinic, 15 years after it was established, a new operating room was opened and the existing rooms were renovated, and for the first time in 30 years, a critical care unit with the best equipment on the market was completely reconstructed. This allowed the MMA not to lag behind any world hospital. The Institute of Radiology of the Military Medical Academy has been equipped with a modern 1.5 Tesla MRI scanner.
Infrastructure works and equipping of the Military Hospital Niš with new medical equipment have continued.Rooms have been adapted and new medical equipment has been installed at the Radiology Ward, a part of the operating block in the Surgical Wardhas been adapted, two operating theatres have beenrenovated, and the most necessary equipmenthas been renewed. This is the most serious investment and reconstruction of that military health care institution in the past 30 years, which has enabled its patients to receive the best and most modern diagnostics and care.
The organization and readiness of the Serbian Armed Forces to respond quickly and efficiently became noticeable during the state of emergency, during which members of the Serbian Armed Forces made a significant contribution to the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 epidemic.
During the state of emergency, temporary hospitals were established in nine facilities in five cities, where 5,122 beds were placed. Temporary hospitals were established at four locations in Belgrade, at three locations in Niš, Novi Sad, Kruševac and Novi Pazar.
Receiving the first blow, members of the Serbian Armed Forces, military doctors and medical staff were engaged in securing health supervision facilities since 18March, when the first facility was established at the Military InstitutionMorović. Since the declaration of the state of emergency, the Serbian Armed Forceswere engaged in the establishment of 18 such facilities for health supervision.
In order to cope with all challenges as efficiently as possible, due to intensified efforts in the fight against the coronavirus, 95 health professionals and support staff got permanent employment at the Military Health Department, while last year and this year more than 400 health professionals and support staffwere employed by military health care institutions.
Dozens of doctors and medical staff are engaged as a supportin civil health care institutions (Clinical Hospital Centre Zemun, Clinical Hospital Centre Zvezdara, Clinical Centre Niš, Leskovac Hospital) and in other activities such as examinations of persons arriving from abroad and from field work.
The Niš Military Hospital put all its capacities at the disposal of the state during the state of emergency, and patients who were not infected with the coronavirus were treated there, and during the state of emergency, the Novi Sad Military Hospital was designated to treat all patients in need of emergency medical care.
During the state of emergency, 17,195 patients were examined at the Belgrade Centre of Military Medical Institutions, and 2,411 patients were examined at the Military Medical Centre "Slavija" and the Military Medical Centre "New Belgrade".
The engagement of NBC teams of the Russian Armed Forces was particularly valuable.Together with members of the CBRNunits of the Serbian Armed Forces, they disinfected facilities and health care institutions, and the equipment and medical devices brought to help prevent and fight the coronavirus epidemic in Serbia significantly helped the members of the Serbian and Russian Armed Forces to quickly and efficiently help the citizens of our country through joint efforts.
And what will certainly be remembered is a great and selfless medical assistance of the People's Republic of China, the expert advice of the Chinese delegation and their stay in Serbia when it was the most difficult. Experts from China visited numerous health care institutions throughout Serbia, Covid and non-Covid hospitals, temporary hospitals and gerontology centres, giving valuable advice derived from the Chinese experience in the fight against the coronavirus.
They assessed the performance of the military healthcare as very successful, and the measures as good and timely, especially emphasizing what they called the "Serbian speed" with which, in just 10 days a Covid hospital was establishedat the KaraburmaMilitary Medical Centre, and in just 12 days the hospital on the grounds of the Karaburma Military Medical Centre was completely reconstructed and an appendage was added.
